DU forms committee to investigate Shammo’s murder

The Dhaka University administration has formed a seven-strong committee to inquire into the killing of students and Chhatra Dal leader Shahriar Alam Shammo.

The committee has been asked to submit its findings within the next three working days, according to a notice from the public relations office of the university on Wednesday.

The notice mentioned that the committee would be led by Dean of the Faculty of Arts Prof Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman Khan.

The other members of the committee are Dean of the Faculty of Law Prof Muhammad Ekramul Haque, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences Prof Taiabur Rahman, Provost of Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall Prof Md Serajul Islam and Prof Md Abul Kalam Sarkar of the Department of Persian Language and Literature. Assistant Proctor Sharmin Kabir has been made the member-secretary of the committee, while the deputy registrar (Investigation) will serve as the secretary.

Around 11:30pm on Tuesday, Shammo was stabbed and fatally wounded after getting into an altercation over a motorbike crash.

The 25-year-old 2018-19 session student of the Institute of Education and Research was 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 F Rahman Hall unit.

On Wednesday morning, police said three suspects, none of whom were students of the university, had been arrested over the murder. The arrestees were Tamim Hawladar, 30, Palash Sardar, 30, and Samrat Mallick, 28.

Sub-Inspector Toufiq Hasan, the case's investigating officer, said the suspects had launched a business on the footpath in the capital’s Farmgate a few days ago.

"Initial investigation revealed that they had gone there to consume drugs," the police officer said.

They will be produced before a court with a petition for a 10-day remand, he added.