Former Vice-Chancellor of Rokeya University arrested

Police arrested Professor Md Hasibur Rashid, former Vice-Chancellor of Begum Rokeya University (BRUR), Rangpur.

He is a convicted defendant in the case of crimes against humanity committed in the murder of Abu Sayed, a student of Begum Rokeya University and the first martyr of the July uprising in Rangpur. He had been absconding for a long time.

He was arrested from a house on Salimullah Road in Mohammadpur around 8 PM on Saturday. The information about the arrest was confirmed by Jewel Rana, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Mohammadpur region of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

Jewel Rana told Prothom Alo, "Professor Hasibur Rashid is a convict sentenced to 10 years in the Abu Sayed murder case.

He had been absconding since the July uprising. On Saturday night, local leaders and activists of the student wing held him upon seeing him. Later, the police brought him to the police station.

Professor Hasibur Rashid was a faculty member in the Department of Management Information Systems at the University of Dhaka.

In June 2021, he was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Begum Rokeya University.

He was in charge of the university as Vice-Chancellor during the July uprising. He is one of the main accused in the Abu Sayed murder case. The verdict in this case was delivered on 9 April of this year.

In the verdict, 25 out of the 30 accused in the case were sentenced to various terms by the International Crimes Tribunal-2.

Among them, Professor Hasibur Rashid was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. Previously, on 30 June of last year, an arrest warrant was issued against him.