In a gory incident at Dhaka University, a youth was mercilessly beaten to death as a suspected thief at Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall on Wednesday night.
The youth, identified as Tofazzal Hossain (32), died inside the dormitory for hours of beating.
Later, some students took him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) around 12:00 am. However, doctors declared him dead.
Following the incident, the DU authorities filed a murder case with Shahbagh police station on Thursday noon. In the meantime, police arrested four students involved in the incident.
"The deceased, Tofazzal, hailed from Patharghata upazila under Barguna," said Md Faruk, chief of the DMCH police outpost. "We've learnt that he was mentally unstable."
Asked what had happened, he said, "Tofazzal was detained and beaten on suspicion that he was about to steal things inside Fazlul Huq Hall."
"He had injury marks on many parts of his body. The body has been kept at the morgue for an autopsy."
According to eyewitnesses, students detained Tofazzal on Wednesday evening and then took to the guest room of the hall. There, he suffered rounds of beating until 10:00 pm.
The victim was given food in the canteen after the beating. Later, he was detained and beaten again.
As his condition deteriorated at midnight, he was rushed to the hospital. Those who accompanied the victim left the place after he was declared dead.
CASE FILED: FOUR HELD
The DU authorities filed a murder case. Proctor office confirmed that four students involved in the incident were arrested till Thursday afternoon.
The arrestees were named as former FH Hall Chhatra League leader Jalal Ahmed, Mottakin Samin of soil, water and environmental science, Mohammad Sumon Mia of food and nutrition science, and Al Hossain Sazzad of geography.
Shahbagh police sub-inspector Al Amin also confirmed that some students of FH Hall beat a man to death ruthlessly on Wednesday night alleging that the victim was a mobile thief.
PROTESTS ERUPT AT JU
Shamim Ahmed, also known as Shamim Molla, a former organising secretary of Jahangirnagar University (JU) Chhatra League unit and a student from 39th batch, was killed in mob lynching.
He died while receiving treatment at Gonoshasthaya Medical College Hospital around 10:00 pm on Wednesday, according to Ashulia police station inspector Abu Bakr Siddique.
Shamim Molla is accused of being actively involved in the attack on students at the vice-chancellor's residence on the night of July 15.
In response, students apprehended him from the university's Prantik Gate area. They assaulted him and then handed to the proctorial body. Yet, students attacked him again by breaking the collapsible gate.
The proctorial body later informed Ashulia police who arrested Shamim Molla and admitted him to Gonoshasthaya.
Following Shamim's death, which some students labelled as an 'extrajudicial killing,' protests erupted under the banner of 'Jahangirnagar Bachao Andolon.'
The protest march began at 2:00 pm. The vice-chancellor, proctor and security office officials met students at the proctor's office at 3:00 pm.
At 11:00 am, students held a procession under the banner of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. During the rally, speakers put forward a 3-point demand, including punishment to those responsible for Shamim's death.
Home Affairs Adviser Lt. Gen. (retd) Mohammad Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Thursday emphasized the need to raise public awareness about mob justice, saying citizens have no right to take the law into their own hands.
"No one has the right to enforce justice outside the law. If someone commits a crime, hand him/her over to the authorities," he said while talking to reporters after a meeting with police officers under Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) at the DMP headquarters in Ramna.
Jahangirnagar University has condemned the mob assault that led to the death of Shamim Ahmed.
The university administration expressed deep sorrow over the incident and extended condolences to his family. They called for a swift and thorough investigation to identify and punish those responsible, said a press release issued by the university's public relations office.
JCD CONDEMNS MOB JUSTICE
Meanwhile, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student wing of BNP, condemned the death of a Chhatra League leader at Jahangirnagar University and a mentally imbalanced youth at DU as they fell prey to mob justice.
Following the incident, JCD convened a press conference at the Dhaka University Journalists Association (DUJA) where JCD president Rakibul Islam and general secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir, among others, were present.
STORM OF PROTEST AT DU
Following the killing incident, students staged several protest rallies on the DU campus throughout the day.
Some students under the 'Anti-repression Students' banner took position outside the proctor's office at 12:30 pm.
They accused the proctor of fostering an environment where "mobocracy" has been tolerated, leading to the latest tragic death.
Earlier at 10:30 am, another group of students formed a human chain at Raju sculpture protesting the mob killing and sought punishment to those involved.
At 7:00 am, Abu Baker Majumder, one of the coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, staged a protest rally at the same place, condemning the killing.
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