Shammo murder: 3 suspects sent to jail after arrest, remand plea later

Three suspects arrested in connection with the murder of Dhaka University student and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader Shahriar Alam Shammo have been sent to jail pending trial as no remand petition has been filed by police.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Jamsed Alam sent them to jail following a plea filed by Shahbagh police, who produced the suspects in court on Wednesday.

The arrestees were identified as Tamim Hawladar, 30, Palash Sardar, 30, and Samrat Mallick, 28. All of them hail from Madaripur.

Earlier, Shahbagh police Sub-Inspector Toufiq Hasan, the investigating officer, said he would seek a 10-day remand for the arrestees.

After the court order, he said: "No remand application has been made [on Wednesday] and it is likely to be filed [on Thursday]. "

Three people were arrested in Rajabazar and parts of the capital on Tuesday night.

Around 11:30pm on Tuesday, Shammo, a student of the Institute of Education and Research in the 2018-19 session, was stabbed and fatally wounded after getting into an altercation over a motorbike crash near the Suhrawardy Udyan section of the campus.

The 25-year-old was then rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where emergency doctors declared him dead.

He hailed from Sirajganj’s Ullapara Upazila and was the literary and publications secretary of the Chhatra Dal’s Sir AF Rahman Hall unit.

His mortal remains were taken to his hometown following the funeral prayer after Dhuhr prayers at the central mosque of Dhaka University on Wednesday. He will be buried at his family's graveyard after the second funeral prayer there, his relatives said.

Police said the suspects were all from outside the campus, according to the authorities.

The university administration formed a seven-strong committee to investigate the murder. The committee has been asked to present its findings within three working days.

TEACHERS' GROUP DEMANDS JUSTICE

In the wake of the incident, the Sada Dal, a platform of pro-BNP teachers at Dhaka University, demanded swift justice for those involved in the murder.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the group claimed that a series of killings had taken place across Bangladesh since the fall of the "fascist" Awami League government on Aug 5 last year. According to the statement, BNP and nationalist activists have been especially targeted in these incidents.

The teachers expressed disappointment that, despite a shift in the political landscape, there has been no visible progress in the investigation or prosecution of these crimes. “There was hope that the changed circumstances would lead to proper investigations and justice, but so far, no such progress can be seen,” the statement read.

The statement further alleged that the killing of a university student on the DU campus may be part of a larger conspiracy to destabilise the university and the country, especially at a time when citizens nationwide are calling for a national election.

“A culture of impunity only encourages further crime and wrongdoing. In the past, similar incidents occurred without any exemplary punishment, leading to repeated killings that continue to alarm and concern us.”

In a separate statement, the university’s Public Relations Office said the administration is working to ensure a fair and thorough investigation into the incident. A case is being prepared for filing at the Shahbagh Police Station on behalf of the university administration. The university also pledged full legal and procedural support to the victim’s family.

Students held multiple demonstrations against the killing late into the night on the campus.