Youth held over friend's murder

Police on Thursday night detained a college student in Mymensingh town in connection with the murder of his friend Muhtasim Billah Shakil.

Detainee Sagor, an HSC examinee from Syed Nazrul Islam College, was picked up from Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH) area within hours after his classmate Shakil died of stab wounds at the hospital. 

The 18-year-old came under attack from some of his friends for protesting harassment of a girl, said police.

Law enforcers, quoting witnesses and victim's family members, said Shakil was visiting a fair on the Town Hall premises on Thursday afternoon. He got into an altercation with his friend Piyash, a student of Royal Media College, over the girl's harassment. At one stage, they scuffled with each other.

Piyash along with about 15 of his friends got into another altercation with Shakil in College Road area around 5:00pm when the latter was on his way home to Akua Madrasa Quarter at the town.

All of a sudden, the youths stabbed Shakil indiscriminately and left           the area, leaving him critically injured.

Sagor, who was at the scene, with the help of locals rushed Shakil to MMCH, said Md Abdur Rashid, assistant superintendent of police at Kotwali Police Station.

The victim died of his wounds around 7:00 pm. An autopsy was carried out on his body at the hospital that night.

Yesterday, Shakil was buried at Buruka village in the district's Phulbaria upazila after Juma prayers.

Police were yet to record a case in this regard.

PROTESTS

Students of Syed Nazrul Islam College brought out a procession at the town on Thursday night, protesting the killing and demanding immediate arrest of the killers. They ransacked Royal Media College and several shops near it.

On information, police went to the spot and brought the situation under control.

At a protest rally on the Nazrul Islam college premises, students and teachers gave an ultimatum to the police to nab Shakil's killers by 10:00am today.

AKM Abdur Rafiq, principal of the college, said they would go for a tougher movement if their demand was not met.

Meanwhile, the authorities of Royal Media College held an emergency meeting yesterday afternoon.

Principal Snehasish Dey of the college said they would help the police bring the offenders to book if any of their students was found involved in the killing.