Protest erupts in Barishal demanding justice over killing of college student by RAB in reported gunfight

Students and local residents in Barishal's Agailjhara staged a protest this afternoon (23 April) demanding justice over the killing of a college student by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) during a reported gunfight.

An SSC candidate was also seriously injured in the incident, which took place on Tuesday (21 April).

The RAB claims the reported gunfight took place during an anti-drug operation in the Agailjhara upazila. However, family members, local residents, and police records contradict RAB's claims, saying neither of the youths had any prior involvement with drugs.

The deceased, Siam Molla, was a first-year college student at Karfa Ideal College, and the injured, Rakib Molla, was appearing for his SSC exams.

Contrary to RAB's allegation that Rakib is a "notorious drug dealer," none of the two young men, who were cousins, have any prior criminal records in Agailjhara, Gournadi, or Uzirpur police stations.

Today's protest programme, a human chain with over 200 participants, took place in the Baherghat area of the upazila.

Speaking at the protest programme, locals claimed that the RAB has started extrajudicial killings again and that the elite force shot the students at Bagerghat without any fault or reason. "Hundreds of people in the area are witnesses. Two RAB members who came were not in RAB uniforms. We wanted to know their identities. What kind of law enforcement agency would shoot when asked about their identities? We want strict justice for those who killed the students," said one local whose name could not be confirmed.

Josna Begum, the mother of Siam Molla, who was killed by RAB, also participated in the human chain.

Breaking down in tears, she said, "My son didn't know drugs. RAB shot at my innocent son and killed him. All the villagers witnessed it. I want the RAB members who shot at my son to be hanged."

She went on, "The RAB men detained Rubel Molla and Saikat Mandal. At the time those two shouted 'robbers, robbers', and my Siam, along with Rakib, both of whom were with me, went to check on them. The RAB men shot them instantly."

Siam's cousin Meem Akhter, sister-in-law Nisat Akhter, aunt Asma Begum, students of Saheberhat Secondary School and local residents participated in the human chain.

Agailjhara Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Oliul Islam confirmed to The Business Standard that there were no prior cases against Siam and Rakib.

He added that RAB had filed two separate cases and that operations were ongoing to arrest the listed suspects.

According to the birth registration documents, Siam was only 16 years old, although the hospital records noted his age as 22. Rakib on the otherhand is 17. Their families maintain that neither used nor dealt in drugs.

The killings

The incident occurred on Monday (21 April) evening near a tea stall at the Jora Bridge area in Mollahpara, close to the border of Agailjhara and Uzirpur.

Eyewitnesses say that two men in T-shirts were dragging a local youth while shouting "thief, thief." Locals intervened and demanded to know the identity of the men. When an argument escalated, one of the two drew a pistol and opened fire. Siam died on the spot, and Rakib, hit by bullets, fell into a nearby canal.

Later, uniformed RAB-8 officers arrived at the scene. However, locals' accounts suggest they came much after the shooting. Residents report that both Siam and Rakib were merely bystanders during the incident.

The day after the shooting, yesterday (22 April), RAB-8 Deputy Assistant Director Sheikh Riazul Islam filed a case with Agailjhara police, naming Siam and Rakib along with 15 unidentified persons.

Repeated attempts by reporters to get comments from RAB-8 proved unsuccessful. No responses were received from their media cell or official numbers.

Siam's cousin Meem Akhter stated, "Siam was home all day. In the evening, he went out with Rakib to have tea. Later, we heard Siam is dead and Rakib was shot. RAB is calling them drug users, but they were students, never been involved in such things."

Rakib's friend Hossain Ali added, "We took our SSC exam together that morning. In the evening, I heard he had been shot. The accusations against them are false."

The incident has triggered panic in the surrounding areas. Villages like South Mollapara in Agailjhara and Baheghat in Uzirpur have seen a mass exodus of men fearing arrest. Women, children, and the elderly say many families, including students preparing for exams, have fled.