Foyzur Rahman Faizul, who attacked noted author and professor Zafar Iqbal at the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST),was following him since morning on the day of the attack.
Reviewing the footage of a CCTV camera installed on the premises of Chetona 71, the Dhaka Tribune found that Faizul went to the university centre from the central public library on a bicycle around 9:52am on March 3.
Around 9:50am, Prof Zafar Iqbal went to the university auditorium through the university centre and Chetona 71 to attend an event organized by the Electric and Electronic Engineering (EEE) department at the central auditorium. EEE department's teachers Jibesh Kanti Saha and Riteshwar Talukder accompanied him.
The CCTV camera footage showed two policemen escorting the professor. A police vehicle was also seen in the footage.
A university official, on condition of anonymity, said they identified the suspected attacker from several CCTV cameras of the campus and that the footage was handed over to police for further investigation.
EEE teacher Jibesh Kanti said they were going to attend the program along with Prof Iqbal around 10am. After the program ended around 2pm, they had tea at a makeshift stall next to Academic Building `B' (in front of university centre).
He said they attended another program at Mukta Mancha around 3:30pm. Zafar Iqbal was attacked in Mukta Mancha, which is a minute walk and 150 metres away from Chetona 71.
Around 5:40pm, Faizul stabbed the back of Zafar Iqbal's head. He was taken to MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital and later brought to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka the same night. He is now stable.
4 CCTV cameras not functioning properly on the day of the attack
The Dhaka Tribune's investigation found that four CCTV cameras of the campus were not working on the day Prof Zafar Iqbal was attacked.
Screenshot of the CCTV footage showing Zabar Iqbal walking inside SUST campus escorted by police
Global Trade Corporation installed a total of 36 CCTV cameras at different points of the campus to provide security to the university. Of them, 32 were functioning while the remaining four were not operating that day, said Md Dulal Ahmed, who served as a service engineer of the firm and was responsible for the monitoring of the cameras.
Of the four cameras that were found to be dysfunctional, one was installed at the entrance of the vice-chancellor's bungalow, one was placed in front of the guest house, one was in front of the university centre while the last one was installed at a point leading towards the central Shaheed Minar of the campus.
Screenshot of the CCTV footage showing Foyzur Rahman Faizul riding inside the SUST campus around 9:52am on March 3,2018
There were three CCTV cameras at the four spots of the Mukta Mancha but all the surveillance cameras were placed in such a position that they could not totally cover Mukta Mancha, where Prof Zafar Iqbal was attacked.
SUST Proctor Associate Professor Zahir Uddin Ahmad said: “The CCTV cameras are installed to provide security on the campus. When the cameras do not operate, we ask the related authorities to repair them.”
Screenshot of the CCTV footage showing Zabar Iqbal walking inside SUST campus escorted by police
Global Trade Corporation installed a total of 36 CCTV cameras at different points of the campus to provide security to the university. Of them, 32 were functioning while the remaining four were not operating that day, said Md Dulal Ahmed, who served as a service engineer of the firm and was responsible for the monitoring of the cameras.
Of the four cameras that were found to be dysfunctional, one was installed at the entrance of the vice-chancellor's bungalow, one was placed in front of the guest house, one was in front of the university centre while the last one was installed at a point leading towards the central Shaheed Minar of the campus.
Screenshot of the CCTV footage showing Foyzur Rahman Faizul riding inside the SUST campus around 9:52am on March 3,2018
There were three CCTV cameras at the four spots of the Mukta Mancha but all the surveillance cameras were placed in such a position that they could not totally cover Mukta Mancha, where Prof Zafar Iqbal was attacked.
SUST Proctor Associate Professor Zahir Uddin Ahmad said: “The CCTV cameras are installed to provide security on the campus. When the cameras do not operate, we ask the related authorities to repair them.”