Murder of college student Ali Hossain sparks protest

Hundreds of villagers brought out a procession at Konapara in Sadar upazila yesterday, protesting the killing of college student Ali Hossain and demanding immediate arrest and punishment of the prime accused.

Criminals beat up and stabbed Ali Hossain, 18, in Konapara sluice gate area in Sadar upazila on Wednesday.

The procession was also joined by students, who paraded the adjacent villages demanding immediate arrest of the killers.

Saifuddin Ahmed Bakul, chairman of Char Sirta Union Parishad and all ward members also expressed their solidarity with the protesters, sources said.

They demanded immediate arrest of the killers. Otherwise, they threatened to launch a tougher agitation programme in the district.

Rokibul Islam Rokib, president of BCL Ananda Mohan College unit, demanded immediate arrest of the killers.

Ali Hossain, son of Arab Ali of Konapara village, passed the HSC examinations from Government Ananda Mohan College in the district town this year.

Quoting family and locals, police said a gang of miscreants, allegedly led by one Rubel Miah, 25, a motorbike driver of the village, beat up and stabbed Ali because he demanded repayment of Tk 500 that Rubel borrowed from him last year. Ali died on the spot.

Victim's father lodged a case accusing 10 people, including Rubel and his father Md Ainuddin, for their alleged involvement in the killing. Police arrested Ainuddin on Wednesday evening.

The arrestee was yesterday produced before a Mymensingh court that sent him to jail.

Rubel and other members of the gang went into hiding soon after the incident but police drives are on to arrest the killers soon, said Md Kamrul Islam, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station.