8 sued over murder of Primeasia University student in Banani

Eight individuals, including two leaders of the Banani Thana unit of Student Against Discrimination (SAD), have been sued in connection with the killing of Jahidul Islam Parvez, a third-year student of Primeasia University, in the capital's Banani area yesterday.

Jahidul, 24, a student of the textile engineering department, was stabbed to death around 4:40pm, hours after a brief altercation near the university premises.

The victim's cousin Humayun Kabir filed the case with Banani Police Station early today, naming eight individuals and accusing 25-30 unnamed others, said Russel Sarwar, officer-in-charge of the station.

Humayun said he identified the accused based on CCTV footage. Among the named individuals are Sobhan Niyaz Tushar, joint convener of the Banani Thana SAD unit, and Hriday Miazi, joint member secretary of the same unit, according to the case statement.

The six other accused are Meheraj Islam, Abu Jahr Giffari alias Piash, Mahathir Hasan, Rifat, Ali, and Fahim.

According to the case statement, Jahidul and some friends were having snacks around 3:00pm near the university after an exam. They were laughing and joking when two female students of another private university and some others were seen nearby.

Three individuals approached Jahidul and questioned why they were laughing, alleging the group was mocking the girls. A quarrel followed but was resolved with the intervention of authorities. Later, around 4:40pm, Jahidul was stabbed in the chest.

He was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries. His body was handed over to the family after an autopsy at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Speaking at the morgue, complainant Humayun Kabir said, "My cousin was a calm and peaceful person. He was not involved in any fights. We don't understand why he was killed. We want justice."

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leaders claimed Jahidul was one of their activists and alleged that SAD leaders were involved in the killing. They demanded the immediate arrest of the perpetrators and justice for the slain student.

JCD President Rakibul Islam Rakib, speaking at a press conference at the Nayapaltan party office yesterday, said, "Our initial investigation has revealed that several leaders of the Students Against Discrimination were directly involved in the murder. CCTV footage clearly identifies the individuals who fatally stabbed Parvez," UNB quoted him as saying.

Rakib alleged that a group, including Primeasia University student Meheraj Islam, and SAD leaders Tushar and Miazi, were responsible for the attack.

On the other hand, in a Facebook post, SAD rejected the allegations, claiming their leaders were not involved.

"We strongly condemn such falsehoods by Chhatra Dal… Tushar and Miazi have no involvement whatsoever in the murder," the post read.

SAD also said CCTV footage from the scene showed no presence or involvement of the two accused leaders. "Despite the lack of any evidence, a mob trial is being carried out on Facebook by falsely linking the names of these two leaders, putting their safety at risk," the statement said, urging Chhatra Dal leaders to refrain from "ugly politics".

OC Russel Sarwar said among the named accused, three are students and the rest are outsiders. No arrests had been made as of filing this report.

Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir condemned the killing and said, "Those who could kill a dedicated student leader like him at this time were certainly not involved with Bangladesh's uprising for change."