Shammo killing: DU students want arrest of ‘real killers’, safe campus

Protesting students at Dhaka University yesterday issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the arrest of the "real perpetrators" behind the murder of fellow student and Chhatra Dal leader Shahriar Alam Shammo, as demonstrations continued for a third straight day.

They also demanded justice for Shammo, a fair trial, and a safe campus.

Around 11:00am yesterday, the agitated students gathered at the base of the Raju Sculpture and staged a protest where they made the announcement.

Under the banner of "General Student Community of Bangladesh", approximately 200–300 students marched towards Shahbagh Police Station.

Taking position outside the station premises, demanded the immediate arrest of all those involved in the murder case, a fair trial, and a safe campus.

During this time, police were on alert in front of Shahbagh Police Station.

Mashiur Rahman Shuvo, a postgraduate student of the Institute of Education and Research, said that if the real perpetrators are not arrested within 48 hours, they will announce their next course of action on Sunday.

According to the students, a delegation of teachers, including Muhammad Abdus Salam, Asim Das, and Sirajul Islam from the Institute of Education and Research department, along with four student representatives, entered the station for discussions.

One of the protesters, Ibrahim Munshi, told The Daily Star, "This is a non-partisan banner. Various political parties are now politicising Shammo's death. But our main demand is justice for Shammo's murder."

When contacted, Shahbagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Khalid Mansur told The Daily Star, "A delegation of teachers and students came to speak with us. ADC Mir Asaduzzaman of our Ramna Zone spoke with them.

"The teachers and students have presented their demands. We informed them that we have arrested three individuals. They will be brought on remand. The investigation is ongoing, and operations are underway. All those involved in the murder will be arrested soon."

Around 1:30pm, the students left the police station area.

Shahriar Alam Shammo, 25, was stabbed to death on Tuesday night near Suhrawardy Udyan. The protests began on DU campus after the killing.

A group of DU students, including leaders and activists of JCD and left-leaning student organisations, under the banner of Students Against Terrorism, have been protesting over the killing.

Shammo was the literature and publication affairs secretary of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal's Sir AF Rahman Hall unit and a student of the 2018-19 session at the Institute of Education and Research.

The victim's brother has filed a case with Shahbagh Police Station. The DU administration has formed an investigation committee regarding the murder.

So far, police have arrested three outsiders in connection with the case. They have been sent to jail via a court order.

Shahbagh Police Station Sub-Inspector Tawfique Hasan said case investigators would seek a 10-day remand of the three arrestees.