Seven arrested so far

Police arrested four more people in connection with the killing of college student Shawon Bhattacharya.

Twenty-year-old Shawon, a student of Mymensingh Commerce College, was stabbed to death at Gulpukurpar in Mymensingh city on Tuesday night.

The next day, the victim’s father lodged a case with the police station. Police have so far arrested seven youths including the prime suspect in this connection. Three arrests were made on Wednesday.

The arrestees were identified as – Mahfuzul Islam Mahin, 18; Sarwar Uddin Ridoy, 18; Fardin, 19; Sajjad, 19; Munna, 19, and Rakib, 19; and another underage boy, hailing from different areas of the city.

Police also recovered a knife from the possession of prime suspect Mahin.

At a press conference yesterday morning, Mymensingh Police Superintendent Shah Abid Hossain said three groups -- led by Munna, Abir and Mahin from different areas of the city -- thronged the city’s Gulpukurpar area when preparations were underway for immersion of the idol Durga at different mandaps of the city on the last day of Durga Puja.

The groups gathered at Prato Sangha, a mandap at Gulpukurpar when the devotees were preparing to join a rally for the immersion around 8:30pm on Tuesday. The group members locked in an altercation over pushing one another and at one stage, Mahin stabbed Shawon in his chest, injuring him critically.

Shawon was taken to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH) immediately, where doctors declared him dead, said Khondaker Shaker Ahmed, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Kotwali Police Station.

Meanwhile, Mahin was produced before a Mymensingh court on Wednesday evening. His confessional statement was recorded under Section-164 and the court sent him to jail, said the OC.

After interrogation, the arrestees were produced before a Mymensingh court with seven-day remand prayer each, said Md Mahmudul Islam, OC of Kotwali Police Station.

Meanwhile, protesting the killing, Shawon’s fellow college students brought out a procession in Mymensingh city yesterday afternoon.

Protesters demanded the arrest and capital punishment of all accused.

Chanting slogans, the rally paraded the main roads of the city and later the students formed a human chain in front of Shaheed Firoz Jahangir Square in the city.