He was addressing a largely attended press conference at the KMP (Khulna metropolitan Police) headquarters here.

Ashraful Huda said a total of 15 journalists were killed in the country from 1996 till February this year. Of these, 10 cases are still under investigation, three are under trial and two cases have been stayed by the High Court.

"The purpose of my visit to Khulna is to monitor and oversee progress of investigation of murder of journalists Humayun Kabir Balu and Belaluddin. "Because, monitoring cell of the Home Ministry is not satisfied with investigation of these two murder cases", the IGP said.

When asked, he said journalist Dip Azad bomb attack case has been transferred to CID for fair and impartial investigation only because a senior police official is implicated in it. CID of Dhaka is investigating the case, he said.

Ashraful Huda said government has decided to equip police with modern arms, choppers and other equipment despite resource constraint to make it stronger.

"We are grateful to the present government for this move", Huda said.

The IGP also held a meeting with DIG of Khulna Range, senior officials of KMP and police supers of ten districts of Khulna division yesterday.

The meeting which continued from 10 am till I PM discussed law and order in the division and in Knulna metropolitan city.

Matters relating to progress in investigation of police and journalist murder cases and new tactics to be adopted to "crush terrorists" also figured prominently in the high-level meeting, he said.

The IGP was accompanied by DIG Shamsul Islam of CID, Legal Advisor Saifur Rahman of Home Ministry and IO of journalist Dip Azad bomb attack case ASP Mostaff Halim of Dhaka CID.

Editor of Janmabhumi Humayun Kabir Balu was killed in a bomb attack on January 27 last year in front of his office at Haji Ismail Road in Knulna city.

Sub-inspector Maruf lodged an FIR with Khulna thana as complainant on August 29 last year without naming any accused.

Charge sheet of the case was submitted to the court naming eight outlaws of both M-L

and Janajuddho factions of Purba Banglar Communist Party as accused.

Names of two out of the eight accused were later dropped from the charge sheet. One of them was BDR Altaf of Janajuddho, who died in a crossfire with police in October last year and the other is Iqbal Hossain who is also a Janajuddho activist, now in jail as an accused in Dip Azad bomb attack case.

Charge sheet of the case is yet to be submitted allegedly due to negligence of the investigation officer (IO) , who is an Inspector of KMP Detective Branch.

Journalist Balaluddin of Dainik Sangram was severely injured in a bomb attack in front of the Khulna Press Clu7b on the night of February 5. He died at the CMH in Dhaka.

Two separate cases were recorded with Khulna thana. Twelve people have been arrested by the then IO of the case, ASI Asad.

But all of a sudden, Khulna thana OC Iqbal Hossain was made the IO, who reportedly shelved the investigation of the case fort some unknown reasons.