Students, colleagues seek fair probe

Teachers and students of mass communication and journalism department of Rajshahi University yesterday sought a fair investigation into the death of Akter Jahan Joly, an associate professor of the department.

Marking her second death anniversary, around 200 students and teachers brought out a silent procession, and the department held a discussion.

Joly was found dead in her room at the university teachers' quarter on this day in 2016. An autopsy confirmed that it was a suicide. The next day, her brother filed a case against unknown persons for instigating suicide.

Joly's colleague Atikur Rahman Raja, an assistant professor of the department, was detained on November 4 that year and shown arrested in the case, but got bail from the High Court.

Joly had been married to another teacher of the department before they divorced, and she got into a relationship with Raja.

Police filed the charge sheet on August 25, 2017, accusing Raja of provoking suicide, but teachers who gave their statements in the case questioned the charge sheet at that time.

Prof Pradip Kumar Pandey said the statements were cited in the charge sheet incorrectly.

The complainant filed a petition with the Rajshahi Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's (CMM) court -- where the case is pending -- and sought further probe.

Petitioner's lawyer Hassan Rizvi, said, “We filed a petition seeking further investigation as we found false and inaccurate information in the charge sheet.”

He informed that he court will hear on the matter on September 27.