Protests erupted in Dhaka on Thursday as two men were beaten to death in separate incidents on the campuses of Dhaka University in the city and Jahangirnagar University in Savar, on the outskirts of the capital.
The deceased on the DU campus, Tofazzal Hossain, 35, from Patharghata upazila in Barguna district used to live in the Dhaka University area, while the deceased on the JU campus, Shamim Ahmed, better known as Shamim Molla, 39th batch student of Jahangirnagar University鈥檚 history department, was a former leader of Jahangirnagar University unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League and used to live in a village near the university campus.
Tofazzal is reportedly 鈥榤entally unstable鈥� and was beaten on suspicion of theft, while Shamim was tortured alleging that he was involved in attacking anti-discrimination movement protesters.
The police arrested six students of DU, until 10:00pm on Thursday in connection with the case of killing the mentally unstable man on the DU campus.
JU Student Movement Against Discrimination relieved one of their coordinators, Ahsan Labib, of his post allegedly for taking part in the lynching incident on the JU campus, said a press release issued on Thursday night.
Students Against Repression brings a procession, demanding justice for extrajudicial killings across the country, including at Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University, and an end to mob violence, on the DU campus on Thursday. 鈥� 抖阴精品 photo
Interim government鈥檚 home affairs adviser retired Lieutenant General Mohammad Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Thursday told reporters that citizens had no right to take the law into their own hands.
Responding to a question at a media briefing at the Foreign Service Academy, law adviser Asif Nazrul on Thursday evening said that no extrajudicial killings would be accepted in Bangladesh.
He noted that the incidents of 鈥榤ob justice鈥� shocked them all.
The government would take every possible step to stop such incidents, he added.
Three coordinators of the Student Movement Against Discrimination Nahid Islam, Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah on their Facebook pages expressed deep shock over the incidents and demanded justice and immediate legal action.
Following the incidents, students at Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University and Jagannath University, different student organisations and political parties protested at the incidents.
Authorities of DU and JU formed separate probe committees in connection with the lynching incidents.
According to human rights group Ain O Salish Kendra, at least 32 people were killed in incidents of mob violence in the first six months of the ongoing year.
Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation, another human rights organisation, reported that 20 people were lynched in August this year.
Our DU Correspondent reported that the mobile phones of six students were stolen during a cricket and football tournament at Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall on Wednesday and a group of students caught Tofazzal at about 7:30pm on suspicion of the theft.
CCTV footages of the hall show that he was taken to the guest room of the main building of the hall at about 7:45pm and he denied the allegation.
He was slapped by the students there, witnesses said.
Later, he was taken to the hall鈥檚 canteen and given food, they said and added that the man was then taken to the guest room of the extended building, where he was severely beaten with sticks and other objects.
Tofazzal was then brought back to the main building鈥檚 guest room and beaten again at about 10:50pm.
A video clipping shows that the victim, wearing only shorts, was then taken out of the room by a few people and was put into a proctorial team鈥檚 vehicle while he was limping.
He was then taken to the Shahbagh police station, and after 15 to 20 minutes, when his condition became critical, he was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital by some residential teachers, officials at Dhaka Metropolitan Police said.
Tofazzal died at about 12:45am on Thursday there, DU proctor professor Saifuddin Ahmed said.
DMCH police outpost in-charge Mohammad Faruk said that the on-duty physicians declared Tofazzal dead and the body was kept in the morgue.
On Thursday, DU estate office supervisor Mohammad Amanullah filed a murder case with Shahbagh police station against unidentified people and the university authorities on the same day formed a seven-member probe committee.
The case statement read that Tofazzal was a 鈥榤entally challenged patient鈥�.
Arifuzzaman Imran, a former DU student and a former BCL leader, claimed in a Facebook status that Tofazzal became mentally unstable after losing his parents, and only brother and the breakup of a romantic relationship and started to live on the streets.
In a press release on Thursday, DMP said that six students of the university were arrested in connection with the incident.
Four of the arrestees are Jalal Ahmed of physics department and a former BCL leader of Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall, Mohammad Sumon of soil, water and environment department, Mohammad Muttakin Sakin of nutrition and food science institute and Al Hossain Sajjad of geography department, said Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall provost professor Shah Md Masum.
Police said that the other students are Ahsanullah and Wazibul Alam.
DMP release also read that they had already handed over the body to the family of the deceased after post-mortem examination.
Condemning the incident as 鈥榠nhuman and unexpected鈥�, the DU authorities on Thursday in a statement said that the administration was determined to ensure justice over this incident.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Jahangirnagar University reported that, at about 9:30pm on Wednesday, a group of students beat Shamim severely at the Joy Bangla gate on the campus alleging that he led an attack on JU campus on July 15.
The students also alleged that Shamim, the organising secretary of the Jewel-Chanchal committee of JU BCL, was involved in drug trading, land grabbing, and extortion in JU and nearby areas.
Security officials who were on duty in the area said that Shamim was later taken to the office of the university proctor in a bid to 鈥榩roduce him before justice鈥�.
Witnesses said that Shamim was beaten brutally with wooden sticks again when JU proctor AKM Rashidul Alam 鈥榝orced鈥� the students to open the lock of the room where Shamim was kept confined.
A team of Ashulia Police Station rescued Shamim at about 10:30pm after lodging a case against him amid 鈥榮tudents鈥� demand.
Shamim died at about 11:50pm at Gonoshasthaya Hospital in Savar, said the police.
Officer-in-charge of Ashulia Police Station, Abu Bakor Siddiqui, said, 鈥楽hamim died on way to the hospital.鈥�
However, JU proctor AKM Rashidul Alam termed it as an 鈥榰nnatural death鈥�.
The JU authorities on Thursday formed a five-member probe committee in this connection.
The authorities, in a statement, also said that the authorities considered any extrajudicial killing as unwanted and assured exemplary punishment for the people involved in the incident.
On the Dhaka University campus, students in groups held protest rallies in front of the Anti-Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture, marched on the campus and held a sit-in programme in front of the vice-chancellor鈥檚 house.
Students under the banner of 鈥楽tudents Against Oppression鈥� brought out a procession raising a four-point demand, including immediate steps against those responsible and maintaining law and order on the campus.
Another group of students held a sit-in titled 鈥楤ring Back Justice鈥� in front of the VC鈥檚 house demanding proper investigations and quick trial of the offenders involved in the lynching incidenuts.
Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatra Dal, the student wing of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, held a press conference at TSC where they condemned incidents like mob killings and demanded justice immediately.
On the Jahangirnagar University campus, a group of students under the banner of Student Movement Against Discrimination brought out a procession Thursday morning demanding justice for Shamim and holding the university administration liable for the incident.
Left-leaning students brought out another procession in the afternoon on the JU campus demanding justice.
Fifteen JU teachers in a joint statement on Thursday demanded justice over the death alleging that a vested portion was trying to cite the planned murder as mob justice.
抖阴精品 correspondent at Jagannath University reported that a group of students under the banner of 鈥楪eneral Students鈥� Forum鈥� held a demonstration on the campus protesting at the incidents.
Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki and executive coordinator Abul Hassan Rubel in a joint statement said that lynching incidents must not be allowed to happen to establish the rule of law in the country.
Left Democratic Alliance leaders in a meeting in Dhaka on Thursday demanded immediate arrest of and exemplary punishment for those responsible for the killings in the name of 鈥榤ob justice鈥�.
Jatiya Nagarik Committee in a statement condemned the silent role of the authorities on the campuses and alleged that the interim government showed lack of interest in controlling the law and order situation.