Two beaten to death at two universities, enraged reaction

Two persons were beaten to death in two separate incidents at Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University on the same day. A group of students beat a young man to death at Dhaka University's Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall (FH Hall) on suspicion of his being a thief. In Jahangirnagar University, a former leader was beaten up in phases and he finally died. The two incidents have evoked enraged reaction all around the country.

The Dhaka University authorities yesterday, Thursday, filed a case at the Shahbagh police station regarding the killing at Dhaka University. The police have arrested six persons for alleged involvement in the incident. One of them is a leader who has resigned from Chhatra League. The political affiliations of the others could not be determined.

In the meantime, it has been learnt that a coordinator of the Students against Discrimination movement and four Chhatra Dal leaders and activists were involved in the Jahangirnagar incident. The Students against Discrimination convener Ahsan Labib has been dismissed. Till the writing of this report yesterday, Thursday, no case was filed. The university administration has temporarily expelled eight students and has formed a six-member inquiry committee.

Meanwhile, a youth named Mohammad Mamun was beaten to death on allegations of stealing a motorcycle in Khagrachhari. This led to clashes between hill people and Bengalis yesterday, Thursday, at Dighinala.
Earlier, on 7 September, Rajshahi University Chhatra League's former leader Abdullah Al Masud was beaten to death. After the fall of the Awami League government in the 5 August student-people's uprising, there have been incidents of "mob justice" at various places around the country. The government has called upon all not to take the law into their own hands, but such incidents continue to occur.

Speaking to students, it has been learnt that on Wednesday afternoon while students were playing at the FH Hall field, a few mobile phones and wallets were stolen. Later at around 8:00 at night when a youth named Tofazzel Hossain entered the field, he was suspected to be the thief and taken by the students to the guest room. He was questioned and then beaten up. Later he was taken to the hall canteen for a meal. He was then taken to another guest room and beaten up again. A video of the beating went viral on Facebook.

When they heard about the beating, the house tutors of the hall came to the spot at 10:00 in the night but failed to rescue Tofazzel. A few students after midnight took Tofazzel to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. At around 12:45am the physicians declared him dead.

Police arrested six students from FH Hall yesterday, Thursday, afternoon. The arrested are Jalal Miah, Mohammad Sumon, Mottakim Shahin, Al Hossain Sajjad, Ahsanullah and Wazibul Alam. They are all residential students of FH Hall. Jalal Miah was the hall's Chhatra League science and technology affairs deputy secretary. He resigned from Chhatra League during the quota reform movement and became active in the Students against Discrimination movement.

Before being arrested, Jalal Miah claimed to Prothom Alo that a few junior students had suspected the youth to be a thief and took him to the guest room where they beat him with stumps. When the teachers called him he went there. He said he hadn't beaten anyone. He had failed to control the juniors.

A seven-member committee has been formed with FH Hall house tutor Alamgir Kabir as convenor to look into the incident. Speaking to Prothom Alo yesterday, Thursday, evening, the university proctor Saifuddin Ahmed said four students had been handed over the Shahbagh police station so far. The inquiry committee would submit its report on Friday.

The deceased Tofazzel (32) was from Kathaltali union in Patharghata of Barguna. His proper name was Masud Kamal. He used to be the Kathaltali union Chhatra League president at one time. Speaking to Prothom Alo's Pathargatha correspondent, Tofazzel's sister-in-law Sharifa Akhter said, after the death of his father, his mother and only elder brother, Tofazzel had become mentally imbalanced.

On Wednesday night when news of Tofazzel's death spreads, there was a tirade of protest on social media. Students held a demonstration at TSC's Raju Sculpture early Thursday morning. After protest processions around the campus in the morning, leaders and activists of Chhatra Dal, Chhatra Union and Chhatra Federation as well as other student organisations demonstrated in front of the FH Hall provost's office. Another demonstration was held on campus under the banner of "Students for Democracy, Dhaka University". These demonstrations termed the lynching of the youth as "mob justice" and protested against this extrajudicial killed, demanding justice.

Shamim Ahmed alias Shamim Molla was former organising secretary of the university Chhatra League. Eye witnesses say on Wednesday afternoon Shamim had been waiting for somebody in front of a salon at the University's Joy Bangla Gate. That was when three students of the university came up and assaulted Shamim. They dragged him into the campus where a few more joined in beating him up.

At 6:45 in the evening a proctorial team and officials of the security department of the university went to the spot. They took Shamim to the security department's corridor of the proctor's office. After some time a few university branch Chhatra Dal men went there and beat him up again.
At around 8:15 Wednesday night members of the proctorial team handed over the seriously wounded Shamim to the Ashulia police station. The police at around 9:00pm took him to the Savar Gonoshasthya Medical College where the physicians declared him dead.

Ashulia police station's inspector (investigations) Kamal Hossain told Prothom Alo, after an autopsy, Shamim Ahmed's body was handed over to his family. If anyone lodges a complaint, legal action will be taken.
A number of students said that a group of the university Chhatra League leaders and activists including Shamim had attacked members of the Students against Discrimination on 15 July night. Shamim was beaten up on Wednesday in reaction to that. Shamim had been facing allegations of drug dealing and assaulting students over trivial issues.

Jahangirnagar University administration said following the first investigation report (FIR) regarding the death of Shamim Mollah, former student of the university's 39th batch history department, eight accused students had been temporarily expelled.

The expelled students are Mohammad Rajan Miah of the government and politics department, Raju Ahmed of the same department, Hamidullah Salman of the English department, Mahmudul Hasan Raihan of same department, Zubair Ahmed of the history department, Atiquzzaman of the management studies department, Sohag Miah of the computer studies and engineering department and Ahsan Labib of the biotechnology and genetic engineering department.

Of them, Ahsan Labib was the convener of the Jahangirnagar unit Students against Discrimination movement. Students have said that former general secretary of Jahangirnagar Chhatra Dal, Abu Sayed Bhuiyan, was also involved in the incident.

In a statement of the Jahangirnagar University's coordinators of the Students against Discrimination movement, it was said that Labib will remain dismissed until the investigations are over. They called for exemplary punishment if he is proven to be guilty.

Vice chancellor of the university Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan told Prothom Alo in the evening, the incident that took place is despicable. The formation of an inquiry committee is in its last stages. Whatever could be done immediately within the vice chancellor's jurisdiction has been done. Based on video footage the accused students have been expelled and action will be taken following the investigations.    

Jahangirnagar University students demonstrated throughout the day, terming the death of Shamim Molla as extrajudicial killing. A group of students demonstrated at the early hour of 2:00am Thursday. Yesterday at 11:00am, students took out a procession under the banner of Students against Discrimination. Later another group of students demonstrated and held a rally. A group of teachers, Progotisheel Shikkhak, issued a statement with a four-point demand including for justice to be ensured.

[Correspondent, Dhaka University, provided information for the report.]