Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the student wing of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, on Tuesday kept the capital鈥檚 Shahbagh crossing blocked for about two hours, demanding justice for Dhaka University student Shahriar Alam Shammo who was murdered on May 13 night.
Shahriar, a student of the Institute of Education and Research of Dhaka University and also a leader of the DU unit JCD, died in an attack by miscreants in the Suhrawardy Udyan area in the capital Dhaka.
On May 14, police arrested three 鈥榦utsiders鈥� for their suspected involvement in the murder.
People faced immense sufferings amid huge traffic congestion triggered by the blockade on one of the busiest crossings in Dhaka.
While protesting, the JCD leaders threatened to call tougher movement if their demands for immediate arrest of the real perpetrators and improved academic environment on the campus would not be met soon.
At the same event, Shahriar鈥檚 elder brother Shariful Alam announced a reward of Tk聽5 lakh for anyone who could help arrest the killers.
The university students as well as JCD held protests at the killing for the seventh consecutive day on Tuesday with demands, including the arrest of the real perpetrators, the formation of a 鈥楯ustice Ensuring Committee鈥� comprising the family members of Shahriar, students and teachers to ensure an impartial investigation and a fair trial in the case of the killing and the resignation of vice-chancellor and proctor for their failure to ensure security on the campus.
Earlier on May 18, the JCD blocked the Shahbagh crossing for the same reason.
Despite rain, on Tuesday a large number of Chhatra Dal activists occupied the Shahbagh crossing from about 3:30pm to 5:20pm, chanting slogans such as 鈥榃e demand justice for Shammo鈥檚 murder鈥� and 鈥楳y brother lies in a grave, why are the killers still free?鈥�
Chhatra Dal central president Rakibul Islam Rakib and general secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir, DU unit JCD president Ganesh Chandra Roy Sahos and general secretary Nahiduzzaman Shipon were present during the blockade.
Rakibul said that their movement had remained disciplined for the past seven days and warned that the government would be responsible in case of any deterioration in the situation in the coming days.
This murder was a reflection of the alarming deterioration in the country鈥檚 law and order situation, he added.
The demonstration ended with a protest march through the university campus.
During the blockade, huge traffic congestion was seen in adjacent areas, including Banglamotor, Farmgate, Kakrail, Paltan, Gulistan, Nilkhet and New Market.
