Fury on campus as DU student leader’s killing sparks outcry
Abu Jakir :
Students and teachers demonstrated strong protests and condemnation over the killing of Shahriar Alam Sammo, a Dhaka University (DU) student and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leader.
The JCD has issued a stern warning to the interim government, threatening an anti-government movement if any of its activists are attacked in the future. The warning comes in the wake of Sammo’s fatal stabbing near Suhrawardy Udyan late Tuesday night, a killing that has reignited long-standing concerns about campus safety and political violence.
Sammo, 25, was a master’s student at the Institute of Education and Research (IER) and served as the literary and publications secretary of the Sir AF Rahman Hall unit of Chhatra Dal.
According to eyewitnesses, he was riding a motorcycle when a collision with another bike led to a confrontation. During the altercation, unidentified assailants stabbed him in the thigh. He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he died around 12:15 a.m.
His death has prompted an immediate and fierce reaction from students, faculty, and political activists. On Wednesday, following funeral prayers at the DU Central Mosque, Chhatra Dal activists led a protest march from the Raju Sculpture to the Vice Chancellor’s Chattar, calling for justice and the resignation of top university officials.
In an impassioned address at the rally, JCD President Rakibul Islam Rakib lambasted the university administration for its silence. “We’ve yet to hear a clear statement from the Vice Chancellor or the Proctor. Suhrawardy Udyan has become a haven for drug abusers, and our students are repeatedly falling victim,” Rakib said.
He demanded the immediate resignation of the DU Vice Chancellor and Proctor, accusing them of neglecting their duty to protect students. “We condemn this indifferent and silent role in the strongest terms. If our demands are ignored, our protest will escalate,” he added.
The JCD leader also issued a direct warning to the government: “If any Chhatra Dal leader or activist is harmed again, and if the authorities fail to act, we will take to the streets in a movement to bring down the government. We are not afraid of blood.”
Students of the IER department have announced a boycott of classes on Thursday (May 15), calling for stronger campus security and justice for their slain classmate. The movement is gaining support from other student groups nationwide, including protests at Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur.
Teachers Demand Justice
In the wake of the incident, the Sada Dal, a platform of pro-BNP teachers at Dhaka University, demanded swift justice for those involved in the murder.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the group claimed that a series of killings had taken place across Bangladesh since the fall of the “fascist” Awami League government on Aug 5 last year.