Tejgaon College students block road at Farmgate for hours, demand justice over peer's death
Meanwhile, an accused in the murder case was arrested today and placed on 3-day remand
Students of Tejgaon College staged an hours-long blockade at the Farmgate intersection today (4 January), demanding justice for a fellow student who died after being tortured inside the college dormitory.
The protest, which began at 9:15 am, disrupted traffic at one of the capital's busiest intersections, stranding commuters until roads were cleared around 1:00 pm.
Protesters chanted slogans and occupied key traffic points, bringing the movement to a near standstill and forcing traffic police to divert vehicles through alternative routes.
According to protesting students, Sakibul Hasan Rana, a 12th-grade student, was targeted on 6 December inside the college dormitory and was brutally tortured allegedly by "a faction of Chhatra Dal" after he protested against drug use on hostel premises.
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He succumbed to his injuries on 10 December at a private hospital in Malibagh after fighting for life in the ICU for four days.
Protesters alleged the killing was politically motivated and accused authorities of attempting to cover up the incident. They also claimed they were barred from holding his funeral prayer on college grounds.
The college administration and police, however, have said the incident stemmed from a dispute over smoking. Protesting students rejected that account, insisting the violence was linked to Sakibul's opposition to drug-related activities by a particular group.
Meanwhile, the police today arrested Md Shamim Ahmed Hridoy, the accused in the murder case, from Dhanmondi area in the city.
Earlier, on 10 December last year, a murder case was filed with the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station in connection with the incident.
Hridoy was later produced before a Dhaka court, which granted a three-day remand in the Sakibul murder case, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police prosecution unit Sub-Inspector Rafikul Islam Rasel.
