Son of college dept head arrested in Madaripur attack

Police have allegedly arrested Khalid Saifullah Jamil, son of Belayet Hossain, head of the department of mathematics in Government Nazimuddin University College, for interragation regarding the attack on Ripon Chakraborty, teacher in the same department, according to his family. But Madaripur police denied the allegation when the Dhaka Tribune contacted them. According to Jamil's family and several local sources, police detained him around 2am on Monday from Gopalpur Boro Mosque in Madaripur's Kalkini upazila, where he is an imam. His family claims the team comprising officials from both Kalkini and Madaripur Sadar police station arrested him. When contacted, Madaripur Superintendent of Police Mohammad Sarowar Hossain claimed that Madaripur police was not aware of any such arrest. “If he (Jamil) has been arrested, it could have been a team from Dhaka. We don't know anything about this issue.” But when this correspondent spoke to Madaripur officer-in-charge Ziaul Morshed, he said Jamil have been detained for interrogation regarding the attack on Ripon and the killing of Faizullah Fahim, the prime suspect in the attack who was killed in a “gunfight.” Before arresting Jamil, the police team detained his friend Mohammad Parvez, who is imam at Bashtola Mosque in Kalkini, and Sajjad Hossain, imam for tarabi prayers at the same mosque, around 1am. They also detained Jamil's maternal uncle Golam Rasul, who is a teacher at Gopalpur High School. Jamil's family further said the police team raided Belayet's house on the same night. “They were in plainclothes and brought my brother-in-law Rasul along when they came to my house. They searched my house and asked me questions about my son. Later, they arrested my son,” Belayet told the Dhaka Tribune. Rasul, Parvez and Sajjad were released after questioning, sources said. Ripon, a lecturer in the math department at Government Nazimuddin University College, was attacked on June 15 by three men who tried to kill him by hacking at him – the trademark style of militants. However, onlookers chased the attackers away and was able to detain Fahim, whom they later handed over to police. Fahim was placed on police remand for 10 days, but he was killed in a gunfight on June 18, as claimed by police. A case was filed against six persons in this regard, but police has yet make any arrest.