Youth who set fire to Pahela Baishakh motifs at DU identified; no arrest yet

The identity of the masked youth seen setting fire to a motif of fascism at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Dhaka University has been identified, but police have yet to make any arrest.

The CCTV footage of the incident, which occurred early Saturday ahead of the Pahela Baishakh Ananda Shobhajatra, went viral on social media yesterday. Following it, students of the Department of Arabic at Dhaka University began discussing the incident, alleging that the masked individual is a student from their department and affiliated with the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the banned student wing of Bangladesh Awami League.

Sources at the DU campus said the youth, a student of the 2021-22 academic session, used to reside in Masterda Surya Sen Hall. He is known to be a follower of Mazharul Kabir Shayon, president of the Dhaka University unit of the banned student organisation. He has reportedly not been seen in the hall since the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August last year.

Despite yesterday's assurances by Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sheikh Mohammad Sajjat Ali that the suspect would be arrested before the Ananda procession began at 9am today, no arrest has been made so far.

Police officials said that disclosing the suspect's identity publicly has made the arrest more challenging. 

"The disclosure of the suspect's identity makes it difficult for us to arrest him, as he will now try to stay in hiding," said Masud, deputy commissioner of DMP's Ramna Division. 

"However, efforts are ongoing to trace the suspect and his accomplices," he said.

A case has been filed with Shahbagh Police Station in connection with the incident on Saturday.

The arson destroyed the 'face of fascism' and 'dove of peace' that were part of the university's traditional celebration for the Bengali New Year. The motifs were later recreated.