‘Ensure death penalty for killers’

Former and current students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) demanded speedy trial and capital punishment for those involved in the murder of Senior ASP Anisul Karim.  

They formed a human chain in front of the capital's Jatiya Press Club yesterday morning.

Hailing from Gazipur's Kapasia upazila, Anisul was a 33rd-batch student of Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at JU.

The police official was allegedly beaten to death by staffers of Mind Aid Psychiatry and De-addiction Hospital in the capital's Adabor on November 9, minutes after he was taken there.

At the human chain, JU Senate Member Mehedi Jamil said, "The video footage of Anisul's assault in the name of providing treatment clearly showed he was killed in a brutal way. We are here with the demand of ensuring capital punishment for the killers."

He demanded forming a speedy trial tribunal to ensure immediate and appropriate punishment, and stopping operation of all illegal hospitals and clinics. JU Senate member Ashish Kumar Majumder underscored the need to find reasons behind Anisul's mental complications.

Jahangirnagar University Lawyers' Association (JULA) General Secretary Barrister Shihab Uddin Khan, also a JU senate member, announced that JULA will give all-out legal support free of cost to Anisul's family.

Prof Shahdat Hossain of JU's biochemistry and molecular biology department, former JU Journalists' Association President Kazi Jakir Hossain, first Bangladeshi female referee of FIFA Joya Chakma, former national player and JU Deputy Director (sports) SM Sadat Hossain, former JU BCL leaders Sohel Parvez, Shafinul Islam and Rashed Reza Diken, and Dramatist Tuhin Reza, among others, were also present at the human chain.

Anisul, appointed as a police officer in the 31st special BCS, was working for Barishal Metropolitan Police (traffic). Earlier, he had served under Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Rapid Action Battalion, and Police Headquarters.

According to family members, Anisul had been suffering from mental stress. He kept quiet for three to four days before being admitted to the hospital.

Anisul's father Faijuddin Ahmed filed a case with Adabor Police Station on Tuesday, accusing 15 people, including the five directors of the hospital, for murdering his 35-year-old son. Police have already arrested 12 out of the 15 accused, including two hospital directors.