At least three outsider youths have been detained in connection with the murder of a student of Shahjalal Science and Technology University (SUST) on Tuesday.
“We have detained three persons so far. They are now being interrogated. After the quizzing, if police find their involvement, they will be arrested,” Nazmul Huda, Officer-in-Charge of Jalalabad police station told reporters on Tuesday.
Earlier on Monday night Md Ishfaqul Hossain, the registrar of the university, lodged a murder case against some unidentified persons with the Jalalabad Police Station in this connection.
Bulbul Ahmed, a third year student of the Public Administration Department of the university was stabbed to death by a gang of miscreants on the campus on Monday evening.
Bulbul along with his girlfriend went to the Gazi Kalur Hill widely known as New Zealand area, adjacent to the Shaheed Minar on the campus.
A gang of muggers stabbed his left side of the chest and managed to escape the scene leaving him critically injured.
After sometime, Bulbul’s friends found his blood-soaked body lying on the hill.
They rescued him and rushed him to the university medical centre from where Bulbul was shifted to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital where an on duty physician declared him dead around 7:45pm.
Hailing from a village in Narsingdi district, Bulbul was a resident of Shah Paran hall.
The girlfriend who was with him during the incident fled the hospital. She was also admitted to a private hospital. In this regard the university authority formed a five-member probe body to investigate the incident. Bulbul's, girlfriend attitude has turned incident into another direction.
As soon as the death news of Bulbul spread, students from all residential halls, SUST vice chancellor Professor Farid Uddin Ahmed, student’s welfare advisor, among others, visited the deceased student.
Talking to university correspondents, Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) Deputy Commissioner (North), Azbahar Ali Sheikh said the ill-fated student’s autopsy has been conducted.
“At least three persons might have taken part in the killing mission. And all they are outsiders, who live adjacent to the north side of the university campus. We are now investigating whether this was a mugging incident or cold-blooded killing,” Azbahar Ali Sheikh said.
The police officials also said members of different law enforcement agencies including elite force Rapid Action Battalion, Criminal Investigation Department and Police Bureau of Investigation launched massive raids in and around the Sylhet city and its adjacent districts on Tuesday to nab the criminals who stabbed Bulbul to death.
Since Monday night, seeking maximum punishment for the killers, the students have been staging demonstrations and forming human chains in front of the central library of the campus.
They also issued 24-hour ultimatum to the authorities of SUST demanding those who murdered Bulbul must be awarded death sentence.
Besides, many teachers including Professor Dr. Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, Professor Dr Shamima Tasnim, Professor Dr. Md Assraf Seddiky and Associate Professor Mohammad Samiul Islam of Public Administration department also took part in the protest rally.
Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of ruling Awami League also formed another human chain programme on the campus demanding immediate arrest of the killers and putting them on trial.
The protesters also demanded the university administration prohibit the movement of outsiders on the campus without permission as they think university is only open to its students.
“We want a safe and peaceful campus. Therefore, the authorities of SUST must do everything for ensuring our security and safety and protecting the peaceful environment on our campus,” echoing the same arguments a group of students told this correspondent.
SUST Vice Chancellor Professor Farid Uddin Ahmed termed the murder a tragic one, saying the university authority will stand beside Bulbul’s family.
“The members of different law enforcement agencies are doing their job in this connection. And, we have also taken all-out measures on how we can stay with the Bulbul family. We are shocked and saddened,” in an emotion-choked voice, Farid Uddin Ahmed told reporters on the campus on Tuesday.
On the other hand, the mourning of the family members, who lost their beloved son Bulbul, has sent a shock wave across the Narsingdi district as well as the country.
Bulbul’s mother does not talk to anyone, shed tears and express sorrow or emotion but stares aimlessly at the sky while his brother demands capital punishment for those who are involved in such a gruesome murder.
“We want justice. We want to know whether my brother was stabbed to death by muggers or it was a cold-blooded and pre-planned murder,” he said while wailing.
Besides, the tragic death of a brilliant student has also saddened the entire village.
The villagers expressed profound shock at the death of their talented son on a university campus, demanding compensation for the bereaved family.