3 get death penalty for killing Rajshahi University teacher

A Rajshahi court today sentenced three people to death for killing Rajshahi University teacher Prof AKM Shafiul Islam in 2014.

Unidentified assailants stabbed Prof Shafiul, 48, to death on November 15, 2014 when he was returning home in Rajshahi city's Choddopai area. Shafiul was known as a progressive teacher and a Lalon songs enthusiast.

Hours after the killing, Ansar Al Islam Bangladesh-2 claimed responsibility for the murder on social media and police arrested three militants over the claim. The victim's son Soumin Shahrid Javin also suspected radicals behind the murder.

RU registrar filed the murder case the following day, accusing unknown persons.

On November 30, 2015, Inspector Rezaus Sadik of police's Detective Branch submitted the charge sheet and ruled out any militant outfit's involvement in the murder.

He accused Anwar Hossain Ujjal, a former convener of Rajshahi district unit of Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, and ten others for the murder. Other accused are: Nasrin Akhter Reshma, an assistant section officer of RU; her husband and Jubo Dal activist Abdus Samad Pintu; former Katakhali municipal unit Jubo Dal organising secretary Ariful Islam Manik; Sirajul Islam Kalu; Mohammad Sabuj; Al Mamun; Mohammad Arif; Mohammad Sagor; Zinnat Ali, and Ibrahim Khalil alias “Tokai Babu”.

According to the charge sheet, Sabuj, Sagor, Arif, Zinnat and Ibrahim hacked Prof Shafiul to death upon receiving instructions from Ujjal and Manik.

The charges were based only on the confessional statement of the accused Nasrin Akter Reshma who claimed Prof Shafiul was killed because “he misbehaved with her”, said public prosecutor Entajul Haque. He said none among the 34 prosecution witnesses named the accused persons.

Source: thedailystar