JOURNALIST KILLING, Mayor lands in jail as protests continue

A Sirajganj court remanded sent ruling Awami League-backed Shahjadpur municipal mayor Halimul Haque Miru in jail custody after police produced him before the court on charge of shooting journalist Abdul Hakim Shimul to death. 
Sirajganj additional chief judicial magistrate Mohammad Morshed Alam passed the order asking the investigation officer of the case to resubmit petition seeking Halimul to be remanded in police custody for interrogation.
Protests against the killing of the journalist continued across the country for the fourth day on Monday.
Protesters also chanted slogans when Halimul, also Sirajganj district Awami League organising secretary, was taken to the court amid tight security.
Police arrested the Halimul, prime suspect in the killing of Shahjadpur journalist Abdul Hakim Shimul, at Shyamali in Dhaka Sunday evening.
Protests also flared up across the country, including Dhaka, universities and district and unpazila headquarters, seeking justice for killing of the 43-year-old Sirajganj correspondent of daily Samakal. 
The journalist was shot on February 2 and died on his way to Dhaka for treatment on February 3. Abdul Hakim Shimul was snapping photos of the mayor and his supporters brandishing firearms during an intra-party clash over a road construction deal. 
Until Monday evening, police arrested nine people, including the mayor, his two brothers and AL leader KM Nasir Uddin.
New Age correspondent in Sirajganj reported that a number of witnesses and the mayor’s political followers alleged that the mayor managed to flee the area on February 3 although police were guarding his house.
When his attention was drawn to the allegation at a press conference, Sirajganj superintendent of police Miraj Uddin Ahmed said that the authorities would take action against cops, if any, found guilty of negligence.
The journalist’s widow Nurunnahar a the murder case with Shahjadpur police station on February 3 accusing Halimul, his two brothers Habibul Haque Minto and Hasibul Haque Pintu, and 15 others while another case was filed following the February 2 intra-party clash. 
A police official probing the case said on Saturday that the ruling Awami League-backed municipal mayor had opened fire defying police directive on February 2 during a fierce intra-party clash. 
Journalists’ professional bodies in Dhaka continued protests against the killing.
Bangladesh Mofassil Sangbadik Forum held a rally in front of National Press Club protesting at the killing. 

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