True to his words
The police and the Dhaka University authorities are repeatedly asking the father of slain publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan to file a case in connection with the murder.
But Abul Quasem Fazlul Huq, a supernumerary professor at the DU, sticks to his earlier position that he wouldn't seek trial of his son's killers.
"I have no faith in cases," he said, without elaborating.
"Hanging or imprisoning some people will not bring any result unless good sense prevails among us," the bereaved father told this correspondent at his Paribagh residence yesterday.
"Creating a democratic environment in the country is necessary and we all should make efforts to this end."
No cases were filed as of 10:00 last night in connection with Dipan's killing.
Inspector (Investigation) Zafar Ali Biswas of Shahbagh Police Station said Dipan's father had agreed to file a case and he would come to the police station this morning.
However, Prof Fazlul Huq disagreed with the claim.
"I told them that I would submit a statement to the Dhaka University proctor at 10:00am tomorrow [today], giving my account of my son's murder. I will urge the university authorities to take necessary measures to this end," he said.
Dipan, owner of Jagriti Prokashani, was hacked to death inside his office at Shahbagh in the capital on Saturday.
Soon after the murder, Fazlul Huq told reporters: "I don't want justice. I want good sense to prevail."
Following the brutal murder and a similar attack on another publisher and two writers in Lalmatia the same day, politicians engaged in mudslinging.
Leaders of the ruling Awami League and its allies are blaming communal and anti-liberation forces in the BNP-led alliance for the killing.
AL Joint Secretary General Mahbubul Alam Hanif even went as far as accusing Dipan's father of sharing the killers' ideology.
"The professor father who has lost his son perhaps believes in the political ideology of those who carried out the killing. He's made such remarks [that he does not want justice of his son's killers] because he doesn't want the people of his party to stand trial," he told newsmen yesterday.
However, Hanif apologised for his comments when he was contacted last night.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, meanwhile, took the opportunity to blame the government for its failure to ensure safety and security of the people.
In a statement on Saturday night, she claimed Dipan was a vice-president of Zia Memorial Library, and a BNP man.
'WE ALL ARE RESPONSIBLE'
BNP Vice-Chairman Hafiz Uddin Ahmed yesterday visited Fazlul Huq's residence to console him.
There, Hafiz said the government has totally failed to ensure people's security because it was concentrating only on clinging to power.
Fazlul Huq then stopped him short and said, "You are also responsible for this situation. If you [the BNP] could bring any positive change in your party, it would have an impact on other political parties."
"We all are responsible for today's situation," he said at one stage of the conversation with the BNP-delegation.
'AVIJIT THE ONLY REASON'
"Dipan was respectful to every religion and was never involved in blogging. It would be a sheer lie if anyone says he was a blogger," Fazlul Huq told The Daily Star.
Dipan never wrote or said anything on religion, he said.
"Dipan believed that followers of every religion will practise the ideals of their respective faiths. He never supported fighting, killing and spreading false propaganda in the name of religion.
"He kept himself away from any discussion on religion very cautiously," he said.
Publishing Avijit Roy's books is the only reason behind Dipan's murder, Fazlul Huq claimed.
"My son came to know about Avijit Roy when they were students of Udayan School. Dipan published two books of Avijit, who was murdered by the same people that killed my son."
The government is yet to come up with anything significant about the killing of Avijit, who was a brilliant student, said the frustrated academic.
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