Teacher killing: Culprit arrested, finally

The student in Ashulia who bludgeoned a teacher to death with a cricket stump was finally arrested yesterday, five days after the assault.

A team of Rapid Action Battalion arrested the prime accused from Gazipur's Sreepur in the evening, said Commander Khandaker Al Moin, Rab's legal and media wing director.

The arrestee is Ashraful Ahsan Jitu, a student of class-10 at Haji Yunus Ali School and College in Ashulia, who had been on the run since the attack on Saturday.

This paper had earlier refrained from naming the student as his age was mentioned as 16 in the first information report. However, it is publishing his name and photo as his age was revealed to be over 19 yesterday.

Citing his birth certificate and registration documents for Junior Dakhil exam, the principal and teachers of the institution said Jitu is more than 19 years old.

Saiful Islam, the principal, told The Daily Star that the student earlier studied in a madrasa and was irregular in his studies. He had study gaps before he was admitted to this institution.

"We admitted him to class 9 in 2021 according to the date of birth mentioned in his birth certificate, which mentioned that he was born on January 17, 2003. He appeared in the Junior Dakhil exam in 2020 from Tanjimul Ummah Alim Madrasah in Uttara."

Earlier yesterday, police arrested Jitu's father Ujjal Hossain from Kumarkhali area of Kushtia. A Dhaka court placed Ujjal on five-day remand in the case filed by Aseem Kumar Sarkar, the victim's elder brother, with Ashulia Police Station on Sunday, accusing Jitu and several unnamed people.

Utpal Kumar Sarkar, the victim of the assault, died while receiving treatment for his injuries at Enam Medical College Hospital on Monday

Utpal, a lecturer in political science at Haji Yunus Ali School and College, was struck on the head with a cricket stump by Jitu on the college field on Saturday, according to teachers and students present at the spot.

He was the chairman of the disciplinary committee of the institution.

Aseem Kumar Sarkar, Utpal's brother, demanded that Jitu's real age be mentioned in the case.

"If the real age is not mentioned, the student will be tried in juvenile court," he said.

SM Quamruzzaman Khan, officer-in-charge of Ashulia Police Station, said if the age of the accused is given as less than the actual age in the FIR, there is scope for mentioning the correct age later.

Victim's brother Aseem said the student hit Utpal because the teacher had taken disciplinary action against him for stalking girls.Meanwhile, students and teachers of the institution held a protest rally in front of the college around 9:30am yesterday and also formed a human chain there wearing black badges.

Requesting anonymity, teachers alleged that Maruf Hossain, Dhaka district superintendent of police (SP), instructed college authorities to stop the ongoing agitation yesterday.

Denying the allegations, the SP told The Daily Star, "Why should I do that? The education ministry will give instructions. I went to the college to look into their [teachers' and students'] safety."