National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman Mizanur Rahman yesterday said a visit to the site where Sohagi Jahan Tonu’s body was found led him to suspect that there might have been attempts to damage evidence.
“It could potentially alter the course of the trial and hinder identification of the culprits,” he told reporters in Comilla. “In that case, those trying to alter evidence should be brought to book.”
Tonu, a second-year Comilla Victoria Government College student and cultural activist, was found dead inside the Comilla cantonment on March 20. Her father Yaar Hossain, a cantonment board office assistant, filed a case without naming anyone the next day.
Mizan said the bush where Tonu’s body was found had been cleared. “This piques suspicion. If soil from the site was removed and replaced by soil from somewhere else, it could have destroyed some evidence, further complicating the investigation.”
The NHRC chief spoke with Comilla deputy commissioner, superintendent of police and army officials.
“Army officials said they would provide all out assistance in the investigation,” he said. “Tonu’s murder is a tragic incident. We must ensure punishment for those involved.”
Protests continue
Demonstrations, rallies and human chain protests continued in Comilla with everyone demanding justice for Tonu. A platform named after her at the Victoria college staged daylong protests like previous days.
Different organisations protested against the March 20 killing at the city’s Kandirpar. In Nangolkot Upazila, teachers and students of Moyura High School and local Chhatra League activists formed a human chain to press for maximum penalty for the killers.
Meanwhile, in Savar, over 100 students of Mirza Golam Hafiz College blocked the busy Dhaka-Aricha Highway at Ashulia’s Baishmail locality for about half an hour. The demonstrators threatened to intensify their agitation if Tonu’s killers are not arrested soon.
