Unidentified assailants shot and killed a local journalist in broad daylight inside a tea stall in Durgapur Upazila, Netrokona, triggering widespread outrage and fear across the region. The fatal attack occurred at approximately 8:15 pm on Thursday, 15 October 2026, at the Telonjia market along the Shyamganj-Birishiri road in Kalmakanda Municipality.
The victim was identified as Lutfuzzaman Alif Fakir, a correspondent for the private IP-based news network Channel Rooposhi Bangla. A resident of Sunoi village in Kalmakanda Upazila’s Pogla Union, Fakir also managed a social media news platform named ‘Detective Article’. Through this channel, he frequently investigated and reported on local corruption, illegal sand extraction, cross-border smuggling, and criminal networks operating across the border belt.
Witnesses and local residents stated that Fakir was drinking tea at a local stall before heading home. Two young men approached the stall under the pretense of purchasing cigarettes. Without warning, the men drew firearms and opened fire on Fakir at point-blank range, discharging multiple rounds into his body.
The sound of gunfire prompted nearby shopkeepers and passersby to rush towards the scene, but the attackers fled on foot to a motorbike parked nearby and sped away into the night. Local residents rushed the bloodied journalist to the Kalmakanda Upazila Health Complex, where the attending medical officer pronounced him dead upon arrival.
Durgapur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Khandakar Shaker Ahmad Khan confirmed that examination revealed five gunshot wounds across the victim’s head, throat, chest, and torso. The body was subsequently transferred to Netrokona Modern Sadar Hospital morgue for a post-mortem examination.
Superintendent of Netrokona District Police Md. Tarikul Islam visited the crime scene shortly after the killing. He stated that initial forensic evidence and eyewitness testimonies point towards a targeted, contract-style execution linked directly to the victim’s investigative reporting.
This was not the first attack against Fakir. On 10 November of the previous year, a gang attacked him with sharp weapons near the Teribazar Ghat area along the Someshwari River, leaving him critically injured. Although he survived that initial attempt, Thursday’s fatal assault highlights the escalating violence against investigative journalists in the region. Police, along with detective branches, have launched multi-agency drives to track down the assailants and bring the perpetrators to justice.
