Journalist Murdered After Filming Armed Gang Attack in Busy City Intersection

On 7 August, armed assailants hacked Bangladeshi reporter Asaduzzaman Tuhin to death after he filmed a chase in one of Gazipur’s busiest junctions. The 38-year-old Protidiner Kagoj staff reporter was recording a gang pursuing a man when the assailants spotted him, chased him into a tea stall, and attacked him with machetes before slitting his throat.

Police pieced together the events using CCTV footage from a nearby shop. It showed the gang — already known to law enforcement for muggings and other crimes — targeting a man named Badsha Mia after an altercation involving a woman suspected of being part of their network. Investigators believe Tuhin’s decision to document the violence made him their next target.

Footage Raises Doubts Over Official Account

Two other videos emerged days later, undermining the police’s initial explanation. One video shows Badsha being assaulted inside a drugstore west of Chandana Chowrasta, while Tuhin was murdered several hundred metres away on the other side of the crossroads. Locals say the area’s heavy traffic makes the official timeline difficult to reconcile, fuelling speculation of other motives.

A second video shows seven suspects inside a police van. One detainee claimed someone hired him to take part but he did not directly join the killing.. Authorities are still searching for Tuhin’s two missing mobile phones, which he often used to expose criminal activities in the area.

Autopsy, Arrests, and Investigations

Forensic exams revealed nine severe wounds on Tuhin’s neck, chest, back, and arms. One blow fractured his ribs, another pierced his lungs, and a strike to the neck severed vital arteries. Doctors said any single wound could have been fatal, describing the attack as the work of an experienced killer.

Officials detained eight people, all with criminal histories. One suspect confessed in court, naming others involved. Two separate cases have been filed — one by Tuhin’s elder brother and another by Badsha’s brother. The investigation remains a police priority, with officials pledging swift prosecution.

Outrage from Journalists and Rights Groups

The murder has sparked protests in the capital, where journalists formed a human chain outside the National Press Club demanding justice and stronger protections for reporters. The Rapid Response Team condemned the killing as a calculated assault on press freedom, warning that without accountability, democracy itself is at risk.

Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman vowed that “no one involved will be spared,” insisting the investigation and legal proceedings will move quickly.

Press Freedom Gains, But Dangers Persist

The assassination occurred despite the country rising 16 places in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, now ranked 149th, ahead of India and Pakistan, with a score of 27.64 to 33.71. Reporters Without Borders still labels the situation “very serious,” warning that economic pressures, media ownership concentration, and political influence continue to undermine editorial independence.

Globally, half of the world’s countries now face poor conditions for journalism, and fewer than one in four enjoy a satisfactory environment. Advocates argue that without financial and institutional independence, journalists are subject to coercion and violence, as Tuhin’s death has sadly shown.

Tuhin is survived by his wife and two young sons. Colleagues remember him as a principled journalist determined to document wrongdoing, even in the face of danger.

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