Women journalists demand fresh autopsy

Rather, she was killed in a planned way, the Centre leaders said at a press conference at the National Press Club.

Mohammadpur police found her body hanging from the ceiling of her bedroom on June 20. Doctors who performed an autopsy on the body at Dhaka Medical College morgue reported it as a case of suicide.

However, Shanta's sister Shahida Sultana Shilpi filed a murder case with Mohammadpur Police Station on July 1 in this connection.

At the press conference, the women journalists rejected the autopsy report and accused Shanta's husband Ashish Kumar Biswas of killing her.

They also demanded a fresh post-mortem to find out the real cause of her death.

If Ashish is arrested and interrogated intensively and the incident is investigated properly, it will be clear whether the incident was a case of suicide or murder, they said.

They said Ashish, an official of Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) who was on an official tour, has not yet returned to Dhaka even after the death of his wife.

On June 22, he sent an application of one month's leave through a courier service to his office.

Advocate Salma Ali, executive director of Bangladesh Mahila Ainjibi Samity, Executive Director of CAMPE Rasheda K Chowdhury, Centre for Women Journalists President Nasimun Ara Haque and General Secretary Dil Monwara Monu, Shahnaz Sumi of Nari Progati Shangha and Rowshan Jahan Parveen of Ain O Salish Kendra also spoke.