CPJ lauds arrest of Bangladeshi publisher Tutul's attacker

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has hailed the arrest of Sumon Hossain Patwari, a suspect who took part in the killing attempt on publisher Ahmedur Rashid Tutul last year.

Patwari's arrest comes amid the nationwide clampdown on militants and criminal activities in the country that concluded yesterday.

According to the police, Sumon, 20, is an alleged operative of banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT).

"We welcome progress in the investigation into the attack on publisher Ahmed Rahmi Tutul, and hope for developments in the cases of other Bangladeshi publishers and journalists who have been assaulted or killed," the Daily Star quoted Bob Dietz, the program coordinator of Committee to Protect Journalists's Asia program, cas saying.

The Bangladesh Police had circulated photos and placed a bounty on the heads of some militants on May 19 this year, including Tk 2 lakh bounty on Shihab's head.

Unknown assailants hacked to death Faisal Arefin Dipan of Jagriti Prokashani and attacked Ahmedur Rashid Tutul on October last year.

Tutul's publishing house 'Shuddhoswar', whose publications were deemed blasphemous by extremists, had reportedly published writings of local secular writers.

On October 31 last year, Tutul and two bloggers Ranadipam Basu and Tareque Rahim came under a machete attack at the Lalmatia office of Shuddhoswar.