The investigation into the murder of Rajshahi University professor AKM Shafiul Islam Lilon is unlikely to advance until a few phone numbers used by the killers, who are believed to be outsiders, can be traced.
An official of the Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, who is coordinating the investigation, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that the phone numbers were found switched off.
RMP Commissioner Mahbubur Rahman, who received a transfer order on Monday, said apart from the regular police, members of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) started investigating the case. “We have already detained all suspected accused and hope that we would able to reach a breakthrough shortly.”
Rajshahi University professor Shafiul Islam Lilon was hacked to death by some unidentified assailants on Saturday.
A Rajshahi court yesterday sent 11 persons arrested in connection with the murder on two-day police remand for interrogation. The court of Rajshahi Metropolitan Magistrate Sharmin Akter issued the order after investigation officer and officer-in-charge of Motihar police station Alamgir Hossain placed the 11 in the court.
The arrestees include Humayun Ahmed, principal of Islamia Degree College, and another teacher of the college Fazlul Haque. The others are Mosharraf Hossain, Abdullah Al Mahamud, Mashiur Rahman, Hasibur Rahman, Jinnat Ali, Saif Uddin, Rezaul Karim, Sagar and Arif.
When contacted, Alamgir Hossain said they strongly believed that they would get a lead into the investigation after interrogating the arrestees and the mystery behind the murder would be solved shortly.
Meantime, a high official at the RMP headquarters, told the Dhaka Tribune that a team of Detective Branch of Police detained the boyfriend of the female student, who was found locked inside Shafiul’s residence, from Dhaka for interrogation.
“We have, however, not got any significant information yet from the boyfriend and from the girl,” said the official.
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is also investigating the sensational murder. A high official of RAB 5, requesting anonymity, said they were gathering all pieces of information from the field level.
Meanwhile, protests by teachers and students of the university continued demanding immediate arrest of and punishment to the killers. They formed a human chain at Shaheb Bazar intersection in the city at 4:30pm demonstrating their demands.
Addressing the rally, organised by the university teachers’ association, Professor Ananda Kumar Saha, convener of the Progressive Teachers Alliance, said Shafiul could be killed for social or political reasons.
“The killers, who can carry out such an act in broad daylight, are able to do anything,” he said, adding: “If punishment is not ensured, the day is not far when we will see repetition of such incidents.”
The teachers and staffs of the university wore black badges all day long.
Around 11am, members of the Ghatok Dalal Nirmul Committee held a human chain in front of the university’s main gate.
Activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s university unit also held a protest programme at the city’s Binodpur area around 4pm, demanding punishment to Shafiul’s killers