Students reject police claim that Apratim killed over an iPhone

Students of Comilla University are not accepting the police's explanation that Ishayat Shahriar, also known as Apratim, the only child of Nahida Begum, an associate professor in the Bengali department, was murdered for an iPhone.

They demand an investigation to see if there was any other reason or involvement behind Apratim’s murder.

Additionally, they have called for an inquiry into whether there was negligence in the police investigation.

These demands were made following a protest march and human chain at the university's roundabout on Monday afternoon, seeking justice for Apratim’s murder.

Students from various departments of the university participated in these programmes.

On Sunday, during a press conference at the Comilla District Police Superintendent's office, Police Superintendent Md Anisuzzaman claimed that Apratim was taken to a secluded forest in the Sananda area of the Lalmati Hills with the intention of snatching his mother's iPhone.

While trying to take the phone, Apratim was hit on the head with a bamboo stick when he resisted. After ensuring his death, the perpetrators left the scene with the phone. Four individuals have been arrested in connection with the murder, including three directly involved.

Comilla University students reject this version of events.

At Monday's press conference, university student and convener of Jatiya Chhatra Shakti of Comilla South District, Nayeem Bhuiyan, said there are questions regarding the police's role since Apratim went missing.

At 11 PM on 19 September, Apratim's mother filed a general diary (GD) at the South Sadar Police Station about his disappearance. It needs to be investigated whether the police acted promptly.

Nayeem Bhuiyan stated that after Apratim's body was recovered, it took several hours for the forensic team to arrive at the scene, raising questions about evidence collection. Thus, there is a demand for the withdrawal of the Police Superintendent and the Officers in Charge of Sadar South and Adarsha Sadar Police Stations. There is a call for swift state measures to be in place for finding missing persons. The press conference also demanded effective measures be taken to prioritise and investigate missing cases.

In the students' remarks, there was repeated reference to the detention and subsequent release of a young man named Anas. At the press conference, a student named Kazi Miraj said that the police superintendent stated in a press conference that no one named Anas had been arrested. However, another law enforcement unit, SRB, stated that Anas was detained and later released.

Kazi Miraj noted the confusion created by the two different statements from law enforcement agencies.

He questioned why Anas was released if he was detained and whether his involvement in Apratim’s murder was investigated.

They also raised questions about the location and time of Apratim’s body recovery, suggesting further investigation is necessary to reconcile this with the timeline provided by police.

Kazi Miraj also questioned the police's statement that the iPhone was the sole motive for the murder, saying the lifestyle of the arrested individuals, as well as their expensive mobile phones and motorcycles, should be considered in the investigation. There was a prior accusation of motorcycle theft against one of the arrested individuals, Tuhin, and whether these aspects are related to Apratim’s murder should be uncovered through investigation.

University Chhatra Dal member secretary Mohammad Abul Bashar also spoke at the press conference.

He said they were informed by the authorities that some information is not being disclosed at this time in the interest of the investigation. The true motive behind the murder should be revealed based on investigative findings.

Abul Bashar said, "We want to uncover the main mystery behind the murder. Apratim’s mother, Nahida Begum, needs to know the reason for his murder."

The press conference also questioned the age of one of the arrested individuals.

Saif Hossain, Mohanagar President of the Student Rights Council and University Student, mentioned that although the young man is 19 years old, he was sent to the juvenile development facility as if he were 15.

He demanded that the issue be investigated and addressed.

Apratim went missing last Friday afternoon after leaving his rented house in the Gandhamati area of Kotbari, Comilla.

His body was found the following Saturday afternoon in the secluded forest of Sananda village, Lalmati Hills, in the Sadar South Upazila.

He was a seventh-grade student at Comilla's Border Guard Public School.