IU students lock admin building, main gate demanding justice for slain teacher

Students of Islamic University staged protests today (15 April), locking the administrative building and main gate of the campus, demanding a swift trial over the killing of assistant professor Asma Sadia Runa.

The protest began around 12pm when students of the Social Welfare Department brought out a procession from in front of their faculty building.

The march moved through different campus roads before ending in front of the administrative building, where students launched a sit-in programme.

At one stage, demonstrators locked the gate of the administrative building.

Shortly afterwards, amid allegations that a university official behaved inappropriately with protesting students, they also locked the university's main gate, halting vehicular movement on campus after 1pm.

Protesters chanted slogans demanding justice, including calls for capital punishment for those responsible for the killing.

The demonstration was withdrawn around 4:30pm after Vice-Chancellor Nakib Muhammad Nasrullah assured the students of a swift trial and said the matter would be resolved through dialogue.

Students alleged that repeated incidents of violence on campus were the result of failure to ensure justice in earlier cases, including the killing of Sajid Abdullah.

They claimed that if justice had been served earlier, the accused in the current case would not have dared to commit the crime.

They also alleged that, in addition to the prime suspect Fazlur Rahman, several others—Shyam Sundar Sarkar, Habib, and Biswajit – might have been involved, and demanded that all those responsible be brought to justice.

The protesters placed a four-point demand before the administration: a prompt and impartial investigation and trial; financial compensation to the victim's family along with a job for one member; naming an under-construction hall after the deceased teacher; and immediate appointment of teachers in the Social Welfare Department.

According to university sources, the incident took place on 4 March, when Fazlur Rahman, an employee of the Political Science Department, allegedly entered Runa's office at the Theology and Islamic Studies building and stabbed her.

She was later found in a pool of blood by students, while the accused was also found injured in the same room, in what appeared to be an attempted suicide.

Both were taken to hospital, where Runa was declared dead. Students said they would continue to monitor the situation and push for implementation of their demands.