Bangladesh: No probe yet of threat to New Age editor, family


No investigation has been done even after the filing of a general dairy in connection with the New Age editor, Nurul Kabir, and his family being threatened by unnamed caller in October 1.
None has so far been arrested in connection of the general diary filed with the Uttara West police, the police said on Wednesday.
The caller, who introduced himself as wanted criminal Shahadat Hossain, demanded money from the editor’s wife Fauzia Sultana and asked Nurul Kabir to stop ‘talking tough’ in talk-shows.
‘The caller introduced himself as wanted criminal Shahdat, demanded Tk 1 lakh and threatened my wife that something bad could happen to my school-going son if we refused to pay him the money,’ the complainant said in the diary.
Nurul Kabir then took the phone when the caller warned him to stop ‘talking tough’ and hung up.
On Wednesday, subinspector Md Firoz Ahmed, 
investigation officer of the general diary, told New Age they had sent a latter to the Detective Branch, seeking the call list.
‘But I am yet to get the list,’ he said. ‘The DB is not willing to provide the call list in connection with the general diary.’ 
‘I am, however, busy, otherwise, about the current situation…’ he added. He failed to detail any meaningful progress in the case.  
Following the threat, 50 academics, writers, rights activists, cultural personalities and politicians issued a statement expressing concern at the threat issued to the ‘outspoken political commentator’ Nurul Kabir.
The statement said, ‘This threat is a big blow to civic rights and the freedom of expression as laid out in the constitution.’
Demanding an immediate investigation of the matter, they urged the government to bring the people who threatened Nurul Kabir and his family to justice. (source