Suspect arrested in Netrokona journalist Alif murder case as hunt for fugitives continues
The Special Response Battalion (SRB-14) has arrested a suspect in the murder case of journalist Lutfuzzaman Fakir, known as Alif, in Durgapur of Netrokona. The arrested man, Ashikur Rahman Prangon, is 21 years old. He was detained during a raid in the Shaheed Minar area of Durgapur municipality at around 11:45 pm on Tuesday, according to law enforcement officials.
SRB-14 commander Additional DIG Mu. Masud Rana confirmed the arrest in a press release on Wednesday. The release said the suspect had been handed over to the concerned police station for further legal action.
Prangon is the son of Shahin Mia of Bagichapara in Durgapur municipality. According to law enforcement sources, he is the nephew of Shamim, known as a shooter and an accused in multiple murder cases — a connection investigators consider significant for the probe.
The slain journalist, Lutfuzzaman Fakir alias Alif, was the Netrokona correspondent of the private IP television channel Ruposhi Bangla. Alongside his journalism, he ran a social media page called ‘Detective Article’, where he published investigative reports on wrongdoing in the border area.
According to the case statement and police accounts, at around 8 pm on 15 October Alif was returning home after buying essentials from a local grocery shop. On the way, unidentified assailants carrying firearms attacked him, shot him indiscriminately and fled the scene.
Local people rescued him and took him to the Durgapur Upazila Health Complex, where the duty doctor declared him dead. The killing of a journalist in a public shooting caused a stir in the area.
The slain journalist's wife, Anandita Sangma, filed a murder case with Durgapur police station over the incident. Law enforcement agencies then began working to identify and arrest the killers.
SRB-14 said it had launched a shadow investigation immediately after the murder. Using intelligence surveillance and information technology, the unit worked to identify and arrest those involved, and Tuesday night's raid led to Prangon's arrest.
The press release added that operations are continuing to arrest the other fugitive accused in the murder case and bring them under the law, suggesting more arrests could follow in the coming days.
Investigators hope that questioning the arrested suspect will yield information about the motive behind the killing and the others involved. In particular, they are examining whether the murder is linked to the investigative reports the journalist published about the border area.
There is also anger among the local journalist community, which has demanded the swift arrest of all the accused and exemplary punishment over the shooting death of their colleague.
SRB-14 said legal proceedings against the arrested suspect will move forward and raids to capture the fugitives will continue, with the picture of the case expected to become clearer as the investigation progresses.
