The Journalists' Forum Assam (JFA) expresses shock over Bangladesh scribe Md Iliyas Hossain's brutal murder recently in Narayanganj locality. Hossain (50), who used to report for the Dhaka-based Bengali newspaper DailyBijoy, was targeted by assailants for his media coverage on smuggling, illegal gas connections and drug trafficking.

Hailing from Jiodhara village, Hossain was hacked to death by miscreants in the evening of October 12, 2020. He left behind his parents, wife and two children, with a host of relatives. His wife, Julekha Begum, informed that Hossain lately started working for another Bengali daily SwadeshAmar. She alleged that some local individuals with vested interests were involved in his murder.

Hossain is the second journalist to be killed in Bangladesh this year. Earlier, Julhas Uddin (35), who worked for Bijoy TV, was stabbed to death last September 3. Various national and international media

rights bodies including Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum, UNESCO, International Federation of Journalists, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called for an independent investigation into Hossain's murder to punish the culprits.

Meanwhile, JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria expressed anguish over the recent killing of a Telangana scribe's son by abductors. The minor boy of Telugu news channel's reporter Ranjith Reddy was kidnapped for ransoms from the Mahbubabad locality and later Dikshit's burnt body was recovered by the police in the Thallapoosalapally forest area. The police have almost resolved the

case, identifying the killer and is expecting his arrest soon.