Sixty-six-year-old Kohinur Begum was standing at the front door of her house in Savar while relatives and neighbours were sympathizing with her. Her son Shamim Mollah, a former leader of the Chhatra League at Jahangirnagar University, died from injuries he sustained in a targeted attack on the campus on Wednesday.
He was beaten up by the university’s students several times, beginning in the afternoon and continuing till he was handed over to the police at around 8:30pm. The students claimed that Shamim had been involved in the attack on some protesters in front of the VC’s residence on July 15.
Kohinur Begum said: “Can people really kill someone like this? They killed my son.”
Shamim was a student of the 39th batch history student of JU. He was also the organising secretary of a former committee of JU Chhatra League.
Shamim was attacked by a mob near the university's Prantik Gate and later inside the security office. He succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at Gonoshasthaya Hospital in Savar at around midnight.
Shamim Mollah's death has cast a pall of grief on the family and his village in Kathgora area of Ashulia. He was known as a talented and generous person.
To mourn with the family, hundreds of people gathered at Shamim Molla’s house.
8 JU students suspended over death of former student in mob lynchingKohinur Begum went on saying: "My son was not a bad person. He used to work for the people. My son was beaten for no fault of his. I want justice. I want the trial of those who have killed my son."
Shamim’s father Lutfar Rahman said: "What fault did my son have? My son was a brilliant student. He did his studies and used to live near the campus. I want the murderers to hang.” Then he burst into tears.
Demanding justice for Shamim's murder, his sister said: "I want justice for those who brutally killed my brother. Beat him like this! How can a person kill another person?”
Meanwhile, hundreds of students of JU staged demonstrations on the campus on Thursday. They demanded justice and punishment for Shamim’s murderers.
Zahidul Islam Imon, one of the coordinators of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said that multiple people who were involved in the beating and murder of Shamim were also involved in attacks on students during the student movement in July. He also demanded justice over the killing of Shamim.
Jewelur Rahman, in charge of the emergency department at Gonoshasthaya Samaj Vittik Medical College, said: “We found him unconscious at around 9pm when he was brought here. Later, I saw the marks of injury on different parts of his body. An ECG had confirmed his death. Later his death certificate was handed over to his elder brother.”
Dhaka District Superintendent of Police (SP) Ahmad Mueed said one cannot take the law in one's hands. A murder case will be filed over the death.
