Bangladesh Chhatra League Rajshahi University unit yesterday called an indefinite strike at the university, protesting the murder of one of its leaders by unidentified assailants.
The deceased was Rustom Ali Akond, acting general secretary of BCL RU Shaheed Suhrawardy Hall unit and a fourth-year student of Political Science Department of the university.
Claiming the involvement of Shibir activists with the murder, BCL activists also demanded immediate arrest and punishment of Rustom’s killers.
According to residential students of Suhrawardy Hall, gunshots were heard from inside the hall when most of the students were attending Jumma prayers at the hall’s mosque early afternoon.
Hearing the gunshots, some students rushed to Room 230 and found Rustom with bullet injuries on his chest. Later, he was rushed to the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital where on-duty doctors declared him dead at around 1:30pm.
Following Rustom’s death, leaders and activists of Chhatra League, led by BCL RU unit President Mizanur Rahman Rana, brought out a protest rally on the campus.
Later, at a press briefing, Chhatra League called an indefinite strike on the campus in protest of the killing.
During the briefing, the BCL leaders blamed Jamaat-Shibir men for the murder and said no classes or examinations will be held at the university until the culprits were arrested.
They also alleged that Shibir activists had been threatening Rustom with death threats through text messages over the past few days.
When contacted, Shibir RU unit Organising Secretary Shoyeb Shahriar refuted the allegations and said Rustom was killed over an intra-party feud.
Meanwhile, sources at the BCL told the Dhaka Tribune that one Selim Ahmed, a third year student of history department, had been seen talking to Rustom at his room just hours before the incident. They were reportedly discussing over the upcoming hall unit council scheduled next Thursday. Both Selim and Rustom were president candidates for the council elections.
“Rustom might have been killed for contesting for the post of president at the council elections,” they said.
ABM Rejaul Haque, officer-in-charge of Motihar police station, said police was trying to identify the culprits involved with the murder.
