The Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), a Bangladeshi human rights organisation, has called for an impartial investigation into the killing of journalist Lutfuzzaman Alif Fakir in Netrokona and urged authorities to bring those responsible to justice.
In a statement issued on Friday, October 16, ASK also called for effective measures to protect journalists from attacks, threats and intimidation.
Fakir, the Netrokona correspondent for private IPTV channel Ruposhi Bangla, was shot dead in Durgapur upazila on Thursday night, according to media reports. He had previously been attacked in November 2025.
The organisation expressed concern that the journalist’s safety had not been secured following the earlier attack, which was followed by his killing.
ASK said the killing was an attack not only on an individual’s right to life but also on press freedom, freedom of expression and the public’s right to information. It warned that impunity for violence against journalists could create a climate of fear and undermine independent reporting, democratic accountability and the rule of law.
Citing Articles 32 and 39 of Bangladesh’s Constitution and Articles 6 and 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), ASK said the state had a responsibility to protect the right to life and freedom of expression, including press freedom.
ASK Executive Director Tahmina Rahman said the investigation must be free from negligence, undue influence and bias. All those involved in the killing must be identified and held accountable through due process, she added.
The organisation urged the authorities to ensure that journalists could perform their professional duties without fear of threats or violence, stressing that protecting independent journalism was essential to democracy, human rights and government accountability.
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