HC orders 12 accused in 2011 Ctg Medical student murder case to surrender, stays acquittal
On 10 July 2019, Judge Jannatul Ferdous Chowdhury of the Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court acquitted all 12 accused. Plaintiff Niyamat Ullah then appealed the verdict in the High Court
The High Court has ordered 12 accused in the 2011 murder case of Chattogram Medical College student Abidur Rahman Abid to surrender. It also stayed a 2019 trial court verdict that had acquitted all of them.
The order was issued today (29 April) by a High Court bench of Justice Md Zakir Hossain and Justice Syed Zahed Monsur, following an application by the plaintiff in the case. The court also issued a rule asking why the acquittal should not be annulled.
The accused include former student union vice president Mafizur Rahman Jumma, Chhatra League CMC unit president Sohel Parvez Sumon, general secretary Bijoy Sarkar, joint general secretary Himel Chakma, and activists Ferdaus Rasel, Shanto Debnath, Mahafuzur Rahman Dhiman, Nasir Uddin Patwari, Debashish Chakraborty, Mostafa Kamal, Rashedur Reza Sani, and Salman Mahmud Rafsan.
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Advocates Oji Ullah and Azimuddin Patwari represented the applicant in court. Advocate Mohammad Shishir Monir informed the media about the High Court order.
Abid, a third-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery student at Chattogram Medical College and a suspected Chhatra Dal activist, died on 21 October 2011, two days after he was allegedly attacked by Chhatra League members.
Farhad Ahmed, then general secretary of the Chattogram Medical College unit of Chhatra Dal, claimed that Abid was an active member of their organisation.
He alleged that Chhatra League members had beaten Abid and fellow Chhatra Dal activists Faisal, Nazim, and Masum over attempts to form a Chhatra Dal committee.
The incident led to protests by general students in front of the medical college's administrative building. Following a meeting of the academic council, college principal Professor Dr Selim Md Jahangir announced the indefinite closure of the institution, suspension of student union activities, and a ban on all political activities on campus.
Abid's uncle, Niyamat Ullah, later filed a murder case at Panchlaish police station against 22 leaders and activists of the Chhatra League and the student union. In February 2012, police submitted a charge sheet against 12 of the accused.
On 10 July 2019, Judge Jannatul Ferdous Chowdhury of the Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court acquitted all 12 accused. Plaintiff Niyamat Ullah then appealed the verdict in the High Court.
