Not much progress in probe

Over four months after the attack on the official residence of Dhaka University's vice chancellor, police are yet to make any headway in the case's investigation except for rounding up some youths on suspicion.

Though some Detective Branch (DB) officials involved in the investigation process claimed to the news agency that they have identified seven to eight people scrutinising footage collected from CCTV cameras installed outside the VC residence, none agreed to speak on record.

The media reported after the April 9 incident that a gang of masked people carried out the attack during the height of a student movement, seeking reforms in the existing quota system in public service.

Later, many academics gave statement pointing out that the attack on VC's residence might have been a ploy to sabotage the movement.

Though there has been no remarkable progress in the case, at least three top leaders of quota reform student movement -- Rashed Khan, Jashim Uddin Akash and Moshiur Rahman -- are in jail after being implicated in several cases including the attack on VC house and on-duty police.

DU Chief Security Officer SM Kamrul Ahsan filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station on April 10 on charges of unauthorised entry, damage and looting of valuables from the VC residence.

Later, the case was transferred to the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Senior ASP Fazlur Rahman of DB (Dhanmondi zonal team) is now investigating the case as its investigation officer (IO).

Speaking on condition of anonymity, DB officials involved in the probe claimed of identifying several suspects by scrutinising footage of CCTV cameras installed outside the residence.

Of them, three suspects -- Md Saidur Rahman, 24, Md Atiqur Rahman, 22, and Rashed Khan are now in jail, they said.

“We have failed to collect the footage of CCTV camera installed inside the VC's house as the perpetrators destroyed the device and set it on fire,” said an official.

He said the detectives sent the damaged CCTV camera to the forensic expert of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to examine whether it is possible to recover the footage.

“We are yet to get CID's opinion,” the DB officer said, requesting anonymity.

On April 29, detectives arrested four more -- Rakibul Hasan, 26, Masud Alam, 25, Ali Hossain Sheikh, 28, and Abu Sayeed Fazle Rabbi Siam, 20 -- from Dhaka's Chankharpool area in connection with the attack.

Of them, Masud is a student of Dhaka Alia Madrasa while Rakib is an accused in five cases filed with different police stations in Barishal and Laxmipur, said police.

Siam and Rakib were present inside the VC's residence when the attack was launched, said the DB officer, quoting findings of the investigation.

He said Rakib snatched two mobile phone devices, one from Anwarullah, a security guard of the VC's residence, and another from Khokon Das, a laundry worker of the same house, during the attack.

“We first arrested Masud Alam as he was using the mobile set of Anwarullah. Based on his statement, Ali Hossain was arrested and then Rakib. Masud claimed that he bought the mobile set from Ali Hossain, while Hossain said he bought the set from Rakib,” said the DB officer.

But since then, there has been no visible progress in the case's investigation.

When asked, DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media) Masudur Rahman said detectives arrested five suspects who were present during the attack. “They (detectives) are trying to arrest other culprits, who were identified through scrutinising CCTV footage,” he added.

In the early hours of April 9, with the quota reform movement in progress, a gang of people -- most of them wearing masks -- broke into the main entrance of the VC's residence and ransacked several rooms and furniture. They also set two vehicles parked inside the residence on fire.