DU students demand arrests in Shahriar murder, 48-hour ultimatum

Students of Dhaka University have issued a 48-hour ultimatum to arrest the “real” perpetrators behind the murder of Shahriar Alam Samya, a university student and Chhatra Dal leader. The ultimatum came after they laid siege to Shahbagh Police Station for nearly an hour and a half on Friday.

A group of students gathered in front of the Raju Sculpture around 11:00 am and proceeded to surround Shahbagh Police Station by 12:15 pm. They remained there until approximately 1:30 pm, staging their protest under the banner of the “General Student Community of Bangladesh.” The demonstrators demanded the immediate arrest of all those responsible for Shahriar’s killing, a fair trial, and a safe campus environment.

Mashiur Rahman Shuvo, a postgraduate student at the Institute of Education and Research (IER) and a classmate of Shahriar, warned that if the actual assailants were not arrested within 48 hours, they would announce further protest programmes on Sunday.

The students initially assembled in front of IER—where Shahriar studied—before marching from the Raju Sculpture to Shahbagh Police Station.

Throughout the demonstration, the students chanted various slogans demanding justice. Toufiq-ul Islam, another classmate, said, “Even if those arrested are involved, they are not the prime accused. We want to know why the main perpetrators have not been apprehended yet.” He also warned that the non-violent protest could escalate if the demands were not met.

Ibrahim Munshi, a 27 batch IER student sitting in at Shahbagh, said, “This protest is non-partisan. While some political groups are using Shahriar’s murder for their own agendas, our demand is singular and clear—justice for Shahriar.”

Despite more than 72 hours having passed since Shahriar’s murder, the main accused remains at large. “We are not here to call for resignations or political revenge,” Ibrahim emphasised. “We simply want the arrest and trial of Shahriar’s killer.”

A delegation comprising faculty members—including Abdus Salam, Asim Das, and Sirajul Islam—and student representatives entered Shahbagh Police Station for discussions with officials. After the meeting, the students returned to the Dhaka University campus, reiterating their 48-hour deadline.