Ayman Md Azmul Hossain, student of private North Western University in Khulna, was allegedly tortured and forced to confess to stealing rice, a mobile phone and money.
During the torture, several people recorded a video of his forced confession. Later, when he was threatened with being handed over to police, Azmul, in panic, jumped from the roof of a four-storey building onto the roof of the adjacent three-storey building. He then slipped and fell to the ground, sustaining fatal injuries.
Sheikh Asif Hossain, 28, a former student of Khulna University who was arrested on Wednesday night, gave the information during interrogation by Special Response Battalion-6 (SRB-6).
He also gave a confessional statement under Section 164 before a Khulna Metropolitan Magistrate Court on Thursday afternoon, admitting his involvement in the incident. He was sent to jail after the statement was recorded.
With Asif’s arrest, four people, including three former Khulna University students, have so far been arrested in connection with Azmul’s death, said Harintana Police Station Officer-in-Charge Iqbal Hossain.
Asif was arrested around 2:30am Tuesday from Bhatipara Gol Chattar in Kashiani upazila of Gopalganj. SRB later handed him over to Harintana police on Wednesday.
Asif is a former student of the 18th batch of the Computer Science and Engineering Discipline at Khulna University. He is the son of Sheikh Miraj of Sanatankati village in Paikgachha upazila of Khulna.
SRB-6 Commander Nistar Ahmed said Wednesday night that Sheikh Asif Hossain was the latest accused arrested in connection with the death of North Western University student Azmul Hossain.
After interrogation, Asif was handed over to Harintana Police Station of Khulna Metropolitan Police for further legal action, Nistar said.
During questioning, Asif provided several important details about the incident. He was appointed at a bank job and was scheduled to join on September 20. He went to meet his friends at a building near the Khulna University halls on the night of September 18 to bid them farewell, where he saw Azmul being beaten by his classmates and friends.
According to Nistar, Asif told investigators that Azmul was later taken to the roof of the four-storey building and beaten again. He was allegedly forced to confess to stealing rice, a mobile phone and money. Some of those present also recorded a video of his statement.
Azmul was later threatened with being handed over to police. Fearing arrest, he jumped from the fourth-floor roof to the third floor in an attempt to escape. He then lost his footing and fell to the ground, suffering critical injuries. He later died after being taken to hospital.
Asif went into hiding after Azmul’s death that night, Nistar said.
“We are verifying his statements by examining the scene, eyewitness accounts, video footage and other evidence,” he said.
Asif also claimed during interrogation that mess manager Mehedi and Hasnat Habib Rifat, a cash officer at Bangladesh Krishi Bank’s Town Nowapara branch in Khulna, were directly involved in the incident and were its main planners.
He further claimed that Tarek Hasan Rubel, owner of Ma-Babar Doya Tanha Juice Corner near Khulna University’s Khwaja Hall, had severely beaten Azmul.
Earlier on Tuesday night, SRB arrested Habib Rifat, 30, and Rubel, 35. Detective Branch police also arrested Pratap Sarker, 28, in connection with the case. With Asif’s arrest, the number of people arrested in the case has risen to four.
Police said Pratap Sarker and Tarek Hasan Rubel had earlier given confessional statements in court over Azmul’s death. Khulna Metropolitan Magistrate Ibrahim Khalil recorded their statements on Wednesday afternoon.
Earlier, Habib Rifat, a former student of the 16th batch of Khulna University’s Fisheries and Marine Resource Technology (FMRT) discipline and a bank official, gave a confessional statement in court on Tuesday night.
Harintana Police Station Officer-in-Charge Iqbal Hossain said four people have so far been arrested in the case. Pratap Sarker was arrested by the DB, while the other three were detained by SRB and handed over to police.
“Habib Rifat, Pratap Sarker and Tarek Hasan Rubel have given confessional statements before the court. Sheikh Asif Hossain also gave his statement on Thursday. We expect to obtain more important information if we can arrest Mehedi, one of the key accused in the case,” he said.
Azmul was initially beaten on Friday night over allegations that he had stolen and eaten rice. He was later accused of stealing clothes, money and other belongings from students at different times.
He died after falling from the roof of the four-storey mess building while being beaten. Doctors declared him dead after he was taken to hospital.
Azmul was from Darshana Police Station area in Chuadanga. Following his death, his father Md Qutub Uddin, filed a case naming four former and current Khulna University students and 20–25 unidentified people as accused.