2013 Shapla Chattar clash killed at least 58: DPS Azad

Referring to Shapla Chattar violence in 2013, Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder on Saturday said the two days of violence claimed the lives of at least 58 people, including seven members of the security forces.

“When the whole world was confused about how many people were killed in the massacre, I took on the challenging work with Mark Dummett, a former BBC correspondent in Dhaka,” he said, describing how they came to the conclusion that the two days of violence claimed the lives of at least 58 people.

“Every time I see Hefazat-e-Islam holding a major demonstration, I remember my investigation for Human Rights Watch on the Shapla Chattar massacre,” he said in a post from his Facebook account.

Azad said those who are now navigating the realm of journalism, defending human rights, perhaps cannot even imagine how difficult the task was.

During the two-week-long investigation, digging through streets, hospital logbooks, meeting the families of victims, talking to witnesses and collecting the evidence of burials, trying to convince people to open up, Azad said, he always carried the fear of being spotted by security forces and disappearing.

“For security reasons, I could never claim the credit for my work earlier, but whenever I see a fellow journalist use my work as a reference, it gives me real pleasure,” Azad said.

Recently, deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 33 others were accused of "mass killing" in a case filed over the attack on a Hefazat-e-Islam rally in Motijheel on 5 May 2013, reports UNB.