Protesters have called a general strike at all educational institutions around the country for April 3 demanding justice for murdered Comilla Victoria Government College student Sohagi Jahan Tonu.
Co-coordinator of Progotishil Chattra Jote and Bangladesh Chhatra Federation General Secretary Ashraful Alam Sohel told a media briefing at Shahbagh on Tuesday that HSC examinees would be out of the strike's purview as the examinations are scheduled to begin on that day.
"The government and the army have failed to act responsibly. Tonu's murder is the result of a culture of ignoring justice. We want to get rid of such culture," Sohel said.
Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu
Second-year history student and cultural activist Tonu was found murdered near her residence inside the cantonment area on March 20. Her father Yaar Hossain, an office assistant of the Cantonment Board, filed a case with Kotwali police the next day without naming anyone.
Investigators have so far failed to make any breakthrough. The case was initially handed over to DB on March 25. The Criminal Investigation Department was put in charge of the case on Tuesday, its Special Superintendent of Organised Crime Mirza Abdullah Hel Baki confirmed the Dhaka Tribune.
Over 200 students from Dhaka University and other institutions took to the streets yesterday. Bangladesh Chhatra Federation, Bangladesh Students' Union, Somajtantrik Chattra Front activists expressed solidarity with the protesters under the banner of Students of Dhaka University.
They took out a procession from the TSC and marched to Shahbagh where students of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, Notre Dam College and Dhaka College joined them.
Vehicular movement came to a grinding halt for several hours at the key intersection until the protesters left at around 4pm. At one stage, they stopped a car belonging to Maj Gen Harun-Ur Rashid and pasted posters on it demanding punishment for Tonu's killers. Gen Harun's wife Suraiya Jebin came out and told the protesters that she too wanted justice.
Demonstrators let the car go after police intervened. A scuffle with police left two of them injured.
Shahbagh police's Officer-in-Charge Abu Bakkar Siddique said blocking road to demand justice was not the right thing to do.
"The Shahbagh intersection is a very important area as there are several hospitals around here. Such demonstrations can claim patients' lives on the road. We request the protesters to consider this,” he said.
Students and people from across the social divide have been demonstrating around the country demanding immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of the killers since Tonu's death was reported.
Related stories:
* Detectives quiz Tonu’s family
* Tens of thousands rally in Sohagi murder protest
