The family of Abdullah Al Masud, a former Rajshahi University unit Chhatra League was brutally lynched Saturday, has decided not to file a case over his murder, citing intimidation.
Following his death on Saturday, and an autopsy, Masud was buried at Binodpur graveyard in Shibganj upazila, Chapainawabganj, on Sunday.
Abdullah Al Masud's uncle, Emdad Hossain, said: "Our family is currently terrified. We do not want to file a case. Even if a case is filed, there will be no justice. Therefore, we will not proceed with a case."
Meanwhile, police sources said that no complaint has been lodged regarding the incident, and the lack of cooperation from witnesses has made an investigation impossible.
The identities of those who took him to the police station are also unknown, they added.
After Masud was attacked, a person named Ramzan went to Motihar police station to inquire whether there was any case against Masud at that station. Upon learning that there was no case, they took the injured Masud to Boalia police station in the city. From there, he was taken to the hospital at night, where he later died.
Abdullah Al Masud was also the section officer at Rajshahi University.
When asked whether the university administration was taking any steps regarding the matter, Vice-Chancellor Saleh Hasan Naqeeb said: "We have spoken with the police commissioner. The matter of filing a case is also under consideration.
"I have repeatedly instructed the Public Relations Office to ensure that no one takes the law into their own hands. We are vigilant about this. If the family does not file a case, it will be done through the university registrar.”
Abdullah Al Masud's mother, Tasenur Begum, devastated by sorrow, said: "What could my son have done to deserve being beaten to death by these thugs? They did not even allow him a drop of water before he died. Not only that, but they dragged my dead son from one police station to another. I pray to Allah for justice."
She added that Abdullah Al Masud was the sole breadwinner of the family, and now they are left destitute. During the conversation, she repeatedly fainted from the grief.
His wife, Beautyara Begum, said: "My husband went to Binodpur market to buy medicine for our three-day-old daughter and me. A group of people brutally beat him to death in three rounds of attacks. I found out around 11:30pm. At that time, I was alone at home. Now I am lost; I have become a widow with a three-day-old daughter. My husband could not leave anything behind for us. But if I can find a job, I will raise my child. Therefore, I seek the government's kind attention."
She also said that she has received calls from unknown people asking for permission to meet her, but no party leaders or officials have contacted or visited her.
She added that her husband had not been involved in politics for a long time due to poor health, and she feels uncertain about where to seek justice. However, she has no objection if her brother-in-law, Ayatullah Beheshti, decides to pursue legal action on the family's behalf.
Masud was brutally lynched in Rajshahi city on Saturday night on the charge of attacking protesters on August 5 during the mass upsurge.
He was severely injured and later handed over to the police station. After being taken to the hospital, he died.
While Masud was in custody at Boalia police station, he claimed: "I had come to Binodpur to buy medicine. I was targeted because I used to be in the Chhatra League."
Abdullah Al Masud was a resident of Budhpara in the city. On the morning of April 29, 2014, he was attacked in front of Zia Hall at Rajshahi University while on his way to class.
During the attack, the lower part of Masud’s right leg was severed from the ankle, and his left leg was severely damaged. The tendons in his hand were also cut.
After losing his leg in the attack, Masud used a prosthetic leg to move around.
After being unemployed for a long period, Masud wrote a letter seeking employment to then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the end of 2022.
Following this, on December 6, 2022, Director-7 Mir Taufey Siddika of the Prime Minister’s Office requested the then Vice-Chancellor of Rajshahi University to appoint Masud to the position of Section Officer.
Following this, Masud was appointed as a store officer at the university’s medical centre on December 20, 2022.
He joined the position on December 22.
Masud had also recently become a father of a baby girl.
