JU student killing: Husband sent to jail, remand hearing set for 24 March amid ongoing campus protests
Students of Jahangirnagar University staged a protest march under the banner of the JU Research Council around 2pm today
A Dhaka court has ordered the husband of a Jahangirnagar University student to be sent to jail after his arrest in connection with the recovery of the student's blood-stained body as protests demanding justice continue across the campus.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Ayesha Siddika issued the order today (16 March) and set 24 March for a remand hearing, said Sub-Inspector Biswajit Debnath of the Dhaka District Police Prosecution Division.
Earlier, the investigation officer of the case, Ashulia Police Station Sub-Inspector Md Shahiduzzaman, applied for a five-day remand for the accused.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
At that time, defence lawyer Syed Zahidul Islam filed a bail petition for the accused.
However, as the investigation officer was not present in court, the hearing could not take place today. The court then fixed 24 March for the hearing.
According to the case statement, the deceased Sharmin Jahan was a fourth-year student of the Public Administration Department at Jahangirnagar University. Her husband, Fahim Al Hasan, is a fourth-year student of the Economics Department at Dhaka College.
After being in a romantic relationship, Sharmin and Fahim married on 24 June last year and informed their families about the marriage. In September last year, they started living together in a rented house in Savar's Islamnagar area near the university.
After some time, disputes began to arise between the couple over various family issues and Sharmin had informed her family members about the matter, according to the case statement.
The case statement further said that at around 4:45pm on 15 March, Fahim called Sharmin's uncle Monirul Islam and told him that Sharmin was seriously ill, asking him to come to the house.
Upon receiving the news, Monirul went to the spot and saw Sharmin lying on the bed in a bloodied condition. With the help of locals, Sharmin was taken to Savar's Enam Medical College Hospital, where the on-duty doctor declared her dead.
Following the incident, Sharmin's uncle Monirul Islam filed a murder case with Ashulia Police Station.
JU students demand justice in protest march
Students of Jahangirnagar University staged a protest march under the banner of the JU Research Council around 2pm today, demanding a fair and impartial investigation and exemplary punishment for the killers of Sharmin Jahan.
Meanwhile, JU Vice-Chancellor Professor Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan expressed deep grief and concern. He described the killing as a brutal act and urged a swift investigation and exemplary punishment for those responsible.
Alongside the university administration, the Jahangirnagar University Central Students' Union (Jucsu), a faction of the Chhatra Union, and the Jatiya Chhatra Shakti have also called for a fair investigation and justice in the case.
Jucsu leaders highlighted the severe head injuries and bloodied condition in which Sharmin was found, as well as the disappearance of her laptop and mobile phone from her residence, suggesting a premeditated attack. They said the killing of a talented student is unacceptable and raised concerns over student safety in areas surrounding the university.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has also expressed deep concern and demanded a fair, neutral, and swift investigation to uncover the truth behind the killing of Sharmin.
