Ashulia Police could not complete its investigation even though a year has passed since the brutal murder of former Jahangirnagar University student Shamim Molla on September 18 last year. Moreover, the documents of the second case, filed by Shamimโs brother at a Dhaka court on October 9, have not yet reached the Ashulia police station.
Among the accused, only three studentsโMahmudul Hasan Raihan, Saiful Islam Bhuiyan and Atikuzzaman Atiqโwere arrested for the murder of the former Chhatra League leader amid a huge outcry as several videos of the torture went viral on social media. Two of them secured bail soon after, while Raihan is still behind bars.
It was one of the numerous incidents of extrajudicial killings that occurred across the country after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5.
On the other hand, after an initial investigation, the JU authorities suspended eight students for six months for their direct involvement in the killing. After the suspension period expired, since March 21, three other accused โ Ahsan Labib, Hamidullah Salman, and Mohammad Rajan Mia โ have been roaming the campus.
They also took part in the JUCSU elections on September 11. Of them, Labib was elected as the Assistant Secretary for Social Welfare and Humanitarian Development Affairs from the panel of the pro-government student front, Bangladesh Democratic Students Union (BDSU). He was a coordinator of the now-defunct Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (ADSM).
Salman and Rajan do not have any posts in Chhatra Dal, the BNPโs student front, but they attended the partyโs political meetings and rallies on the campus.
The JU authorities filed the murder case two days after the killing against eight students and some 20 to 25 unidentified individuals. Shamim Molla’s elder brother, Shahin Alam, filed the other case in court on October 9. Apart from nine students, he named JU Chief Security Officer Sudipta Shaheen, Deputy Registrar Gafrul Hasan Chowdhury, and Proctor AKM Rashidul Alam, also joint secretary of the BNP-aligned Nationalist Teachers’ Forum, as accused.
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Proctor Alam served as the Election Commission’s Member Secretary during the JUCSU polls, which drew huge criticism for vote rigging and other irregularities.
While the university authorities have shown utmost reluctance in bringing the murder accused to the book, the pro-BNP VC, Prof Dr Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan, Proctor Alam and others made sure that none of the accused faced any obstruction. Meanwhile, the teachers and attackers tried to justify the lynching by alleging that Shamim Molla was engaged in drug peddling.
On the other hand, for their ties to the Chhatra League, the JU authorities expelled 64 current students and suspended 46, while cancelling the certificates of 73 former students and suspending certificates of six others.
What happened that day?
Viral videos showed Shamim Molla being beaten multiple times at various locations within the university premises for several hours before being handed over to the police in an unconscious state. When the police took him to Gonoshasthaya Hospital in Savar at around 9:20pm, the duty doctors declared him dead.
The mob attack began outside the university’s Prantik Gate, also known as Joy Bangla Gate, in the afternoon. According to shopkeepers and eyewitnesses, Shamim Molla was standing in front of a shop on the road. When someone called him over, he approached them.
At that time, the accused and some former students, who visited the campus to congratulate the newly appointed VC, started blaming him for being involved in the attack on student protesters on July 15.
In a video circulating on social media, Shamim Molla was seen being assaulted by the students. Of them, Atiquzzaman Atik kicked him in the back several times. Simultaneously, Ahsan Labib hit his leg with a stick.
Bangladesh: Killers freed, citizens crushed
Several other videos show Shamim Molla lying on the floor of the Proctorโs Office and the security wing’s office. At that time, Raju Mia beat him with rods and bamboo sticks. Raju Hasan and Hamidullah Salman later joined in the beating after breaking the lock of a collapsible gate.
Eyewitnesses reported that former Chhatra Dal general secretary of the university, Abu Saeed Hossain Bhuiyan, led the assault on Shamim Molla in front of the Proctor’s office.
At that time, VC Prof Kamrul was present at the Proctor’s Office.
Another video shows Ahsan Labib interrogating Shamim Molla there, enquiring if he was involved in the attack on the vice-chancellorโs residence on July 15, where some students were protesting police action. Severely injured Shamim Molla denied his involvement but named two Chhatra League leaders.
When the Proctorial Board handed Shamim Molla over to the police, several students assaulted him again.
Proctor Alam said that they learned about the assault on Shamim Molla around 5:45pm and went there with the members of the proctorial body. โWe stood there as a shield and asked the attackers to stop, telling them not to take the law into their own hands. They stopped the beating upon our request.โ
He continued: โTo prevent further assaults, we brought Shamim to the Proctor’s Office for protection. He was kept in the outer room. As Proctor, I sat in the office, with my assistant proctors standing by the door, and security personnel nearby. Shortly after, some angry individuals forcibly took Shamim out of the office and into the security office. I arrived and locked the gate.โ
He added: โA few moments later, a group of people with sticks gathered outside. I told them that while I was present as the university Proctor, they could not beat him. Many listened to me, but some angry individuals broke the lock and assaulted him.โ
After the police van left the scene, the attackers appeared jubilant. Moreover, a Chhatra Dal leader distributed sweets in the MH Hall.
What the accused claim
After the killing, Abu Saeed told the media that he went to the Joy Bangla Gate as a curious onlooker after hearing that someone was being beaten. He denied participating in the assault and insisted that the Chhatra League supporters were behind it.
Raju Ahmed said: “I went there after hearing from general students. I scolded Shamim but didnโt beat him.”
Hamidullah Salman said: “I went to the Proctor’s office after hearing the news, but I had no involvement in the assault or breaking any locks.”
MN Sohag said: “I was returning from tutoring and saw the commotion. I didn’t participate in the beating.”
Atiquzzaman said: “I was coming from Prantik. I saw a mob beating someone. I heard that he had been involved in extortion and was involved in the July 15 Chhatra League attack. Out of anger, I kicked him three times but did nothing more. I didnโt know him personally.”
Coordinator Ahsan Labib said: “I heard that students had apprehended the mastermind of the July 15 attack at the Joy Bangla Gate. I went there and interrogated him. Shamim admitted to the involvement of two others. I handed him over to the authorities and left the place.”
Abdur Rashid Jitu, another coordinator who was elected vice-president of JUCSU, said: โA special group orchestrated this event to assert dominance on the campus. After Shamim was brought to the Proctorial Office, the locks were broken, and he was assaulted twice.โ
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