Shammo murder: Protests rage at DU
Police yesterday arrested three suspects over the murder of Dhaka University JCD leader Shahriar Alam Shammo at Suhrawardy Udyan, as his killing sparked outrage across the DU campus.
The arrestees are Tamim Hawlader, 30, Samrat Mallik, 28, and Palash Sarder, 30, said Masud Alam, deputy commissioner of Ramna Division Police.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. They have no ties with the DU, he added.
The arrests came after the killing, which took place on Tuesday night, drew strong reactions from various sections at DU, with different student bodies demanding exemplary punishment for the killers.
A platform named Students Against Terrorism has called a full-day strike at DU today, rejecting the administration's half-day mourning over the death of Shammo.
Earlier, in the evening, activists of JCD, Biplobi Chhatra Moitree, Bangladesh Chhatra Federation, Bangladesh Chhatra Union, and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Chhatra Front held a torch procession on the campus under the banner of Students Against Terrorism.
They also urged students to boycott all classes, exams, and administrative activities, calling the university's response "insensitive and inadequate."
They said the strike will conclude with a protest rally at 5:00pm at the Aparajeyo Bangla, demanding the resignation of the vice-chancellor and proctor for their failure to provide security for students.
According to Sub-Inspector Tawfique Hasan of Shahbagh Police Station, the three arrestees, along with others, had a scuffle with Shammo at the Suhrawardy Udyan and subsequently killed him.
He said the scuffle took place when a motorcycle of the accused collided with Shammo's bike.
The SI, however, did not say whether the man who stabbed Shammo was among the arrestees.
The arrestees have been sent to jail after they were produced before a court, the SI, also the investigation officer of the case, said.
Police will seek remand today, he added.
Shammo, 25, was the literature and publication secretary of the JCD's Sir AF Rahman Hall unit and a student of the 2018–19 session at the Institute of Education and Research. He lived in Room 222 of the hall.
He hailed from Ullapara in Sirajganj.
On Tuesday night, Shammo was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with stab injuries, where doctors declared him dead.
As the news of Shammo's murder spread, agitated students barricaded the residence of the VC in the early hours of yesterday, resulting in a brief altercation between the VC, Dr Niaz Ahmed Khan, and the students.
Yesterday, Shammo's father Fakhrul Alam broke down in tears after seeing his son's body at the hospital.
"My son was a gentle boy. Why would outsiders kill him? I demand the highest punishment for his killers," he said.
After the first namaz-e-janaza at the Central Mosque of Dhaka University, Shammo's body was taken to Ullapara. He will be laid to rest at his family's graveyard after a second janaza there, said sources close to his family.
Yesterday, JCD brought out processions on campus demanding justice and calling for increased student safety.
Leaders of the BNP-affiliated student wing also held a demonstration in front of the VC's residence and demanded the resignation of the VC, proctor, and the home adviser.
"As the highest guardian of the university, the vice-chancellor cannot avoid responsibility for this murder. We demand the resignation of both the proctor and the VC," said Nasir Uddin Nasir, general secretary of the JCD's central committee.
He also demanded the resignation of the home adviser, accusing him of failing to prevent similar incidents.
In a statement, the Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir also condemned the killing.
Meanwhile, DU authorities, expressing deep sorrow over the tragic death, yesterday said a day of mourning will be observed today on the campus.
Classes and examinations will be suspended for half a day today, it added.
The DU authorities have formed a seven-member committee to investigate the death. The committee has been requested to submit its investigation report within the next three working days.
Meanwhile, the BNP and the Jamaat-e-Islami-backed White Panel teachers at DU demanded justice for those involved in the murder.
In a statement, it urged the authorities to take visible measures to enhance campus safety and demanded that the government assume responsibility for Shammo's family.
The killing of a university student on the DU campus may be part of a larger conspiracy to destabilise the university and the country, especially at a time when citizens nationwide are calling for a national election, the statement said.
Meanwhile, the DU authorities, after a meeting with law enforcers and other stakeholders, decided to permanently close the Suhrawardy Udyan's gate near the Raju Sculpture, evict nearby vendors, and begin regular anti-crime and anti-narcotics raids to curb rising violence and drug abuse.
"Seventy percent of crime activities linked to Dhaka University occur in Suhrawardy Udyan, as seen in the 'Proloy Gang' issue and many others," said Asif Mahmud, adviser to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, who took part in the meeting.
"We discussed transitioning Suhrawardy Udyan into a regulated public space like Ramna Park," the adviser added.
Suhrawardy Udyan will remain shut after 8:00pm, he said.
After the meeting, the VC said efforts to control external traffic around the campus had to be scaled back as concerns were raised over personal freedom.
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