Risha murder: Students postpone demo upon police assurance
Students of Willes Little Flower School have postponed their demonstration after police assured them of arresting the killer of their fellow Suraiya Akhter Risha in 48 hours.
They postponed the demonstration till tomorrow noon after Shiblee Noman, assistant commissioner (Ramna zone) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, gave assurance to arrest the killer in 48 hours.
“I requested the protesters to withdraw the blockade from Kakrail road in Dhaka around 2:00pm,” said AC Noman.
The students said they will start their demonstration again if the law enforcers fail to arrest the killer within the deadline, he added.
Hundreds of the school’s students formed a human chain today on their school premises at Kakrail in the capital around 11:00am. They were seen carrying placards and posters with various slogans like “Justice for Risha” and “We want justice for Risha”.
Later, they took to the streets in front of the school and staged demonstration till 2:15pm blocking the road that caused severe traffic congestion in the area.
Risha, a class-VIII student of the school, died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday, four days after she was stabbed allegedly by a stalker in front of the institution at Kakrail.
The school students started their demonstration yesterday after they received the news of Risha’s death.
Imran H Sarker, spokesperson of a faction of Gonojagoron Mancha, joined the demonstrators expressing solidarity with them.
Education minister visits the school
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid today visited Willes Little Flower School and assured the demonstrating students of ensuring justice for Suraiya Akter Risha.
The killer will be given exemplary punishment so that no one can dare to commit such crimes in future, the minister said.
He also called upon the law enforcers to arrest the killers as soon as possible.
Legal notice for arresting Risha’s killer
Eunus Ali Akond, a Supreme Court lawyer, sent a legal notice to the government asking it for arresting the killer in 24 hours.
He also requested the government to take steps within 24 hours to provide security around Viqarunnisa Noon School and College and Siddheswari Girls' College at Bailey Road and Willes Little Flower School at Kakrail.
In the notice, he said he would file a writ petition with the High Court seeking necessary directives if the government does not take steps to arrest the accused and provide security in the school areas.
Home secretary, inspector general of police, Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner, director general of Rapid Action Battalion and officer-in-charge of Ramna Police Station have been made respondents to the legal notice.
Tania Hossain, mother of Risha, filed a case against Obaidul Khan, a youth who allegedly stalked Risha, under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act with Ramna Police Station.
On Wednesday, after Risha was stabbed, her mother Tania told media that other students saw a youth, aged around 20 to 22, running away from the scene. They, however, could not see his face.
She alleged that a youth -- Obaidul Khan -- from a tailoring shop on Elephant Road, “stalked” her daughter over phone around three months ago.
NHRC chief expresses concern
Kazi Riazul Haque, chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, has expressed grave concern over the attack and murder of Suraiya Akhter Risha, a student of Willes Little Flower School, and demanded immediate arrest of the attacker.
“It is a clear violation of the people’s right to move freely,” Riazul Haque said in a press statement floated for media this afternoon.
Fear is still prevailing among guardians of the school’s students as the stalker has not been arrested yet, he said.
“Such attack is a threat to the peace and discipline,” he added.
Citizens of an independent country have the right to move freely and it is the government which is held responsible for ensuring such rights, he added.
Police, with the help of people, can play a vital role against such activities, he said.
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