Journo missing in Chattogram, city journalist union demands immediate information
A journalist in Chattogram has been missing for the last 32 hours after he went out of his residence in Battery Goli area on Thursday morning.
The missing Golam Sarwar, 35, is the executive editor of online news portal www.ctnewsbd.com and a staff journalist at Ajker Surjodoy. He is also a member of Chattogram Union for Journalists (CUJ).
Zubayer Siddique, a colleague of Sarwar, filed a general diary with Kotwali Police Station on Friday, 12 hours after his missing.
"Sarwar left his rented residence around 9am on Thursday for office but did not reach the office and his phone number has been found switched off since then," said Zubayer Siddique.
"However, no one has yet demanded any ransom," added Zubayer when he was talking to The Business Standard on Friday.
Sarwar's family including his wife and two children live in his village home in Borkol Chandanish upazila of Chattogram.
His wife Jesmin Akhter told The Business Standard: "We talked at 11pm on Wednesday. On Thursday morning, he was supposed to go in Patiya after visiting his Anderkilla office. I found his phone switched off when I called him the next day at around 11am. Later, I informed the matter to his colleagues."
Expressing concerns about the missing journalist, Chattogram Union for Journalists, Chttogram Metropolitan Journalists Union and Ain o Adhikar Sangstha Chattogram demanded to the law enforcement agencies for the safe return of Sarwar.
The CUJ called an emergency meeting on Friday morning and issued an ultimatum to the law enforcement agencies to find out Sarwar by Friday night.
The association also warned of tougher movement if Sarwar's safe return is not assured. They also staged a protest rally at 11am on Friday.
Sarwar filed two reports – one on the casino business and another one on land grabbing which some of his colleagues suspect may act behind his missing.
When contacted, SM Mehedi Hasan, deputy commissioner (South) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police said: "We are working on it keeping professional reasons and other possible reasons under consideration."