Killing of teacher: Three days on, police yet to arrest culprit

A student who assaulted a teacher with a cricket stump was yet to be arrested more than three days after the attack and a day after the teacher's death.

The victim's family members yesterday said the father of the 15-year-oldassailant is a "rich person" and could be trying to use his influence to protect his son.

As of 2:30pm yesterday, police had not even seized the cricket stump with which the student on Saturday assaulted Utpal Kumar Sarkar, a lecturer in political science at Haji Yunus Ali School and College in Ashulia's Chitrasail area.

Teachers showed The Daily Star correspondent the stump, which was left in a corridor of the school's second floor.

Contacted, Ashulia Police Station OC SM Quamruzzaman around an hour later said they have seized the stump.

The teachers later told this paper that the police seized the stump around 3:30pm.

Asked when they seized it, the OC just said, "We have seized the stump."

"Multiple teams are trying to arrest the accused student. We are investigating whether anyone else was involved," the OC said.

Ashim Kumar Sarkar, the victim's elder brother who filed a case with Ashulia Police Station accusing the student and unnamed others on Sunday, said, "We don't know whether we will get justice. Police could not arrest the student till now."

Ashish Kumar Sarkar, another of Utpal's brothers, said, "After the attack, we rushed to the spot and found the assailant's parents and family members there. The assailant's threatened us and tried to physically assault us. But police did not take any action.

"We have heard that the student's father is a rich person. We fear that he may make this thing go away through underhanded deals with influential people. We are helpless. We may not get justice," he told The Daily Star yesterday morning.

Saiful Islam, the institution's principal, said, "We are confused whether we will get justice. There is a possibility that the student's father may bury the issue by spending huge amount of money."

Utpal, 35, had served the institution for about 10 years.

According to teachers and students present during the incident, he was beaten with a cricket stump on Saturday by a 15-year-old SSC examinee of the school at its playground. He breathed his last at Savar Enam Medical College and Hospital around 5:15am Monday.

Some locals said the student was seen roaming around the school playground with the cricket stump after the attack.

Locals caught him, but his father rushed to the spot and took him away.

The student has been absconding since then, the locals said.

Shafiqul Islam, a teacher of the college, was present during the attack.

"When the student was beating Utpal sir, I tried to stop him, but he threatened me and I feared for my life. Later, I took Utpal sir to a hospital," he said.

Shafiqul said the student used to stalk girls, and as the president of the college's disciplinary committee, Utpal scolded him on several occasions.

There are two CCTV cameras near the spot, but no video clip of the incident was found as there was no electricity at that time, said Abdul Alim, office assistant of the college.

However, some locals said there was power during the time of the incident.

"I have heard the student himself disconnected the CCTV camera before the attack," said the owner of a nearby shop, requesting anonymity.

This newspaper asked Monir Hossain, deputy manager of the local electricity office, whether there was electricity in the area at the time of the incident, but Monir asked the newspaper to file an application under Right to Information Act for the information.

Speaking to The Daily Star yesterday, several students of the college said the attacker used to lead a teen gang in the area.

Shock and grief have engulfed the victim's family members.

"I still cannot believe that my son is no more. How will I survive without my son?" said 80-year-old Gita Rani, the victim's mother, said in their ancestral home in Lahiri Mohonpur Duttapara village in Sirajganj's Ullapara upazila.

The Daily Star is not making public the identity of the accused as he is a minor.