DU authorities, Sada Dal teachers condemn death of student leader Shammo

Dhaka University authorities have expressed deep sorrow over the tragic death of Shahriar Alam Shammo, a student of the Institute of Education and Research, who was fatally stabbed by miscreants late last night (13 May), near Suhrawardy Udyan.

"The university community is profoundly shocked and saddened by this incident," reads a statement of the university today (14 May).

Following the attack, DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Niaz Ahmad Khan, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration) Professor Saima Haque Bidisha, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) Professor Mamun Ahmed, Dean of the Faculty of Arts Professor Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman Khan, and Proctor Associate Professor Saifuddin Ahmed rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

There, they met with the grieving family, conveyed heartfelt condolences on behalf of the university, and expressed solidarity during this difficult time.

The DU officials also spoke with senior police authorities and strongly urged them to arrest the perpetrators swiftly and ensure exemplary punishment, reads the statement.

According to the police, three individuals have already been arrested within four hours of the incident, and operations are ongoing to apprehend others involved.

The university administration has committed to ensuring justice is served. A case is being filed at Shahbagh Police Station on behalf of the DU administration, and the university will provide full legal and other necessary support to the victim's family.

Sada Dal demands justice

Expressing deep concern over the brutal murder of Dhaka University (DU) student Shahriar Alam Shammo​​​​​​ near the Bangla Academy area adjacent to the campus, teachers' platform "Sada Dal" has called for the immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of those responsible.

Shammo, a student of the Institute of Education and Research (IER) from the 2018–19 academic session, was reportedly stabbed to death by miscreants.

The Sada Dal leaders urged the authorities to identify and arrest Shammo's killers within the next 24 hours and ensure they face the highest punishment under the law. They also called on the Dhaka University administration to take immediate, visible steps to strengthen campus security and demanded that the government take full responsibility for supporting Shammo's bereaved family.

In an official statement today (14 May), Professor Md Morshed Hasan Khan, convener of Sada Dal, along with Joint Conveners Professor Abdus Salam and Professor Md Abul Kalam Sarker, condemned the killing and expressed serious concerns over campus security.

According to the statement, Shahriar Alam Shammo was the Literary and Publication Secretary of the Sir AF Rahman Hall unit of Chhatra Dal, the student wing of BNP.

He had been actively participating in movements opposing fascism and demanding the fall of Sheikh Hasina's regime. "He was a young dreamer who fought for change and stood for people's rights. It is heartbreaking that such a frontline fighter in the struggle for mass uprising had to lose his life within his own campus," the statement read.

The group warned that the murder could be part of a broader conspiracy to destabilize the university and the nation at a time when public calls for a national election are intensifying.

"A culture of impunity only encourages further crime. Previous such incidents have often gone unpunished, which is why we continue to witness such tragedies," the teachers said.

Sada Dal also raised concerns about a rising wave of politically motivated killings across the country following the fall of the "fascist regime" on 5 August, alleging that BNP and nationalist activists are being deliberately targeted.

"Despite public expectation for fair investigations under the new political circumstances, there has been no visible progress in addressing these crimes."