Unidentified men followed missing journalist Kajol: Amnesty
The human rights organisation released a video based on CCTV footage of the street where the journalist’s office is located
Missing journalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol was followed by unidentified men who appeared to tamper with his motorbike the day he was last seen before what is feared to be an enforced disappearance, said Amnesty International.
The human rights organisation released a video based on CCTV footage of the street where the journalist's office is located.
The footage shows Shafiqul Islam Kajol, editor of Bangla daily Dainik Pokkhokal, arrived on his motorbike at his newspaper office on Meher Tower at Hatirpool, Dhaka at 4:14 pm on March 10, 2020, said a press release of the watchdog.
Several unidentified men can be seen suspiciously moving around his motorbike and keeping an eye on it for nearly three hours before he left the premise. At around 6 pm three men approached his motorbike separately and appear to tamper with it, it added.
"The suspicious activities of unidentified men captured in the footage are compelling evidence that shows that he was being followed only a day after the police opened an investigation against him," said Saad Hammadi, South Asia campaigner at Amnesty International.
Amnesty International said the police registered a complaint from the family on March 11 regarding his disappearance, but they refused to take his case for investigation during the crucial first days, and have denied having him under custody.
It was only after a High Court order was conveyed to the police on March 18 that they carried out the first actions.
One day before his disappearance, the police registered a case under the Digital Security Act against journalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol and 31 others.
They were accused of publishing "false, offensive and defamatory" information on Facebook.