The demand was made at an emergency meeting of KMUJ held at Khulna Press Club with its president Md Anisuzzaman in the chair. Speakers at the meeting urged the caretaker government to initiate re-investigation into murder of journalists Belal, Manik Saha and Humayun Kabir Balu so that real culprits are unpunished. The second death anniversary of Belal will be observed tomorrow.

Shaikh Belaluddin, Khulna bureau chief of Dainik Sangram, was fatally injured in bomb attack at about 9 pm on February 5, 2005 at Khulna Press Club compound. He succumbed to the injures on February 11 at Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka.

A case was filed with Khulna Sadar thana by Sub-inspector Aminul Islam as complainant. Later SI Asaduzzaman Farazi was made the investigation officer (IO).

The IO of the case submitted charge sheet accusing six persons. They are alleged extremists Iqbal Hossain Shadhin, Mirajul Islam, Rafiqul Islam Hasan and Goda Yunus, expelled Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shahabuddin Lashkar alias Dhira and expelled Chatra Shibir activist Eklasur Rahman.

The IO named Dhira as the mastermind behind Belal murder.

The case was transferred from CMM court to the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Khulna.

Judge Mashiur Rahman of the same court framed charge against all the accused on June 29 last year.

Of the chargesheeted accused, Dhira and Ekhlasur Rahman are now on bail while four others are in Khulna jail.

Prime accused Dhira appealed to the High Court on August 23 last year to postpone the trial. Hearing on this appeal petition is yet to be held in the High Court. As a result, deposition of prosecution witnesses in the trial in Khulna court is also postponed, court sources said.

Manik Saha, Khulna Correspondent of The New Age, was killed in a bomb attack at noon on January 15, 2004 near Khulna Press Club.

Charge sheet of the murder case was submitted on June 20, 2004, naming 12 alleged extremists as accused.

Four out the 12 accused persons died in crossfire incidents while five are absconding and three are in jail.

Humayun Kabir balu, editor of Khulna-based Dainik Janma-bhumi, was killed in a bomb attack at noon on June 27, 2004 in front of his office in the city.

Charge sheet of the case was submitted on April 26, 2005 accusing eight alleged extremists for the murder.

The trial court has ordered further investigation of murders of Manik Shah and Humayun Kabir Balu. Detective Branch Inspector Fazle Rahim of Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) is yet to submit report on further investigation.

Murder of the three journalists triggered protests by news men and people across the country but their killers are yet to be punished.