Zubair killers not yet held

The accused in the murder case of Zubair Ahmed, a Jahangirnagar University (JU) student, have not yet been held more than two years after the gruesome murder. They are allegedly enjoying favour from the high ups while facing trial in this connection. Among the 13 accused, now on bail, facing trial at the Speedy Trial Tribunal-4, one has reportedly secured a job in the Transport Office at the university, while the others are frequently attending classes as well as staying in their respective halls, raising the eyebrows of the students demanding justice, JU students alleged. Zubair, 23, an undergraduate student of English Department at JU, died at United Hospital in Dhaka city on January 9 in 2012, hours into his adduction and tortures on the JU campus by his rivals on Jan 8. On Jan 30, 2012, the JU syndicate expelled seven of the accused permanently and also suspended others for two years as their involvement in the attack on Zubair was proved in preliminary investigation conducted by the university administration. On Apr 8, 2012, the investigation officer concerned of the Ashulia Police Station submitted the charge-sheet in this connection, accusing 13 students. Two of the accused have made confessional statements before the magistrate. On March 1, 2013, District and Session’s judge Abdul Mazid took cognisance of the charge-sheet in the case. The Speedy Trial Tribunal-4 on September 7 last year framed charges against 13 of the accused. Meanwhile, more than one hundred JU students formed a human chain near Dhaka District Court under the banner of ‘Santrasher Biruddhe Jahangirnagar’ on Thursday demanding trial of the killers, also protesting assault on their fellow students on Jan 19 this year when seven of the accused physically assaulted two JU students in the court area after they had appeared before the tribunal, according to UNB.