Parents demand judicial probe

At a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity Auditorium, the father of Sharmila Shahrin Polen, a student of class twelve, rejected the claim of the college authorities that she had committed suicide in a bathroom of the college hostel on February 11.

"From the controversial statements of the authorities concerned regarding her death, it was clear that Polen did not commit suicide," said MA Bashar Patwari, a retired flight sergeant.

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"The authorities first informed us that Polen had died of cardiac arrest, but later told us that she had committed suicide," he claimed.

"The adjutant of the college telephoned me on that day at 12.30pm saying that Polen was admitted to Mymensingh Combined Military Hospital (CMH) for illness but when we reached the college at 4.00pm, we were told that she was admitted to Mymensignh Medical College Hospital," Bashar said.

"We waited at the medical college for long but were not allowed to see Polen. At last the authorities told us that she had died of cardiac arrest", he added.

" The college authorities did not allow us to see the roommates of Polen," said Kamrul Islam, uncle of Polen.

"My daughter did not commit suicide. I know her. She was not a girl of that type who could commit suicide," lamented Tapasi Majumder, mother of Polen.