RU teacher killing mastermind, 5 others held

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel have arrested six people in connection with the murder of Rajshahi University (RU) teacher AKM Shafiul Islam, including the crime’s suspected ‘mastermind’. RAB Additional Director General Ziaul Ahsan said that the men were arrested during overnight raids on Saturday and Sunday at different parts of Dhaka and Rajshahi. The elite force claim that the murder had been planned and executed under the direction of Ariful Islam Manik, a Juba Dal leader of Rajshahi’s Kathakhali Municipality unit. Manik carried out the murder with the help of five others – ‘Pintu’, ‘Tokai Babu’, ‘Mamun’, ‘Kalu’ and ‘Sabuj’ – claims RAB. All six were arrested in two consecutive overnight raids. Details of the arrests will be provided in a media briefing to be held later, said RAB Assistant Director Maksudul Alam. Prof Shafiul Islam, who taught sociology at RU, died last Saturday after he was fatally stabbed by attackers just outside the university campus, according to a news agency.