Dhaka University on Saturday temporarily suspended eight students and cancelled their residential accommodations over their alleged involvement in lynching a mentally unstable youth on the campus.
Same day the authorities also replaced professor Shah Md Masum, the provost of Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall, where the murder was reportedly committed, by professor Md Elias Al-Mamun of pharmaceutical technology department.
The authorities also took decision to form a central committee for further investigation of the murder.
At Jahangirnagar University, meanwhile, protests continued on Saturday over the lynching of ex-Bangladesh Chhatra League leader Shamim Ahmed on the campus.
The police picked up a former Chhatra League leader Habibur Rahman Habib from Dhamrai, on the outskirts of Dhaka, early Friday, hours after the Jahangirnagar University authorities had filed a case over lynching Shamim.
On September 18, a group of Dhaka University students allegedly beat a mentally unstable man, Tofazzal Hossain, to death at the university鈥檚 Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall alleging that the victim had stolen mobile phones. On the same day, ex-Bangladesh Chhatra League leader Shamim Ahmed was beaten to death on the Jahangirnagar University campus on allegations that the victim was involved in attacking protesters during the anti-discrimination movement in July.
At Dhaka University, a probe committee, formed by the hall administration, submitted report on September 19 identifying eight students being involved in killing Tofazzal.
Six of the eight identified men, all former activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of Awami League, were arrested on September 19 and gave confessional statements under Section 164 before a metropolitan magistrate court in Dhaka on Friday confessing their involvement.
They were sent to jail now, read a Proctor鈥檚 Office notification on Saturday.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Dhaka University, by quoting a press release issued from the university public relations office on Saturday, reported that the eight students were temporarily suspended from the university, while their seats at Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall were also suspended over their alleged involvement in the murder.
Among these students, three are former leaders of the Hall Chhatra League unit and three are former activists of the organisation, according to some university officials.
One of the accused among them is Jalal Mia, a 2018鈥�19 session student of physics department, and the former secretary of science and technology subcommittee of the hall Chhatra League unit. During the quota reform movement, he resigned from Chhatra League and got involved with the anti-discrimination student protests.
Another accused Ahsan Ullah is a 2018鈥�19 session student, and former deputy secretary for mass communication and development affairs for the hall Chhatra League unit.
Accused Al Hossain Sajjad is a student of 2020鈥�21 session of geography and environment department, and the office secretary of the earth and environmental science faculty unit of Chhatra League.
Three other accused Sumon Mia, Muttakin Sakin, Wazibul Alam are former Chhatra League activists.
Soil, water, and environment department student Sumon Mia, is a student of 2021鈥�22 session.
Muttakin Sakin is a student of the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science and Wazibul Alam is an oceanography department student.
Two more accused who have not been arrested till Saturday evening are Md Feroz Kabir, a student of 2020鈥�21 session of botany department, and Md Abdus Samad, a student of 2020颅鈥�21 session of the physics department.
The Dhaka University public relations office press release also read that the Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall provost was changed, naming professor Md Elias Al-Mamun of pharmaceutical technology department as the new provost.
The Proctor鈥檚 Office notification further said that the university administration was going to form a central committee to investigate if any other students were involved in the incident, while the police investigation was going on.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Jahangirnagar University reported that under the banner of JU Progressive Students protests continued condemning mob lynching on the campus.
They brought out a procession from the university Central Shaheed Minar in the afternoon, marched through the campus and held a rally.
Addressing the rally, president of the university unit of Bangladesh Chhatra Union Alif Mahmud said, 鈥楾he proctorial body cannot escape liability over the death of Shamim as the mob snatched him from their custody and beat him to death.鈥�
The protesters placed a four-point demand, including stopping mob justice anywhere, ensuring speedy justice following forming of a neutral investigation committee.
Earlier, the Jahangirnagar University administration suspended eight students and lodged a case against them over the lynching incident.
A group of students also demonstrated on the campus on the day, protesting against the authorities condemning them for accusing an innocent person in the lynching case filed with the Ashulia police.
Teachers, students, and family members claimed that history department student Jubayer Ahmed, under 2014鈥�2015 session, was named in the case although he left the campus after completion of studies about six months ago and was not on the campus when Shamim was killed.
鈥業 have been living with my family in the capital鈥檚 Jatrabari area for the last six months for my job,鈥� Jubayer told 抖阴精品 expressing anger and shock.
Admitting 鈥榮ome鈥� mistakes in mentioning the names of the accused in the case, university proctor AKM Rashidul Alam said, 鈥榃e are going to make an official statement about the mistake. We will apologise to Jubayer for it.鈥�
