Phulbaria Killings: AL lawmaker, 6 others sued

A case was filed against the Phulbaria ruling Awami League lawmaker and six others yesterday in connection with the killings of two people, including a teacher of Phulbaria Degree College, during a demonstration demanding nationalisation of the institution last month.  

Apart from lawmaker advocate Muslem Uddin, the other accused in the case are his son advocate Emdadul Haque Selim, information and research affairs secretary of Phulbaria upazila unit AL, Phulbaria Degree College Principal Nasir Uddin Khan and its Vice-principal Amzad Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Phulbaria Police Station Rifat Khan Rajib and its Sub-inspector (SI) Rafiqul Islam and Assistant Sub-inspector Ratan, court sources said.

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SM Abul Hashem, a senior teacher of the college, lodged the case with the Cognisance Court-2 of Senior Judicial Magistrate Mahbubul Huq against the seven people, including lawmaker Muslem, who is also the president of Phulbaria Degree College governing body.

A judicial inquiry into the killings was demanded in the case statement, Hashem told The Daily Star.

The attack was carried out on the instructions of Muslem and his son. They are masterminds of the attack, Hashem said when he was asked why the case was filed against the two.

On November 27, chases and counter chases between the protesters and police broke out outside the college as police swooped on the demonstration by teachers, students and staff of the college.

Two people, including Abul Kalam Azad, assistant professor of botany department of the college, were killed and over 100 others injured in the incident.

The other victim is Safor Ali, 65, a day labourer, who was injured while crossing the college area during the clash. Doctors at Phulbaria Upazila Health Complex said he was brought dead there.

The 55-year-old teacher had complained of chest pain soon after he was beaten by police at the college. His colleagues called an ambulance, but it was not allowed to enter the college.

Azad was then taken to a three-wheeler stand on a rickshaw van. A CNG-run three-wheeler carried him to a private clinic, some 10 kilometres away from the college. He died there later, said a college teacher.

The court did not give any order regarding the case yesterday. An order would be passed today, said Nawjesh Ali Miah, court inspector of Mymensingh.

Saifunnahar, wife of late Azad, is also a teacher of the college. The couple has three children, family sources said.

Azad's eldest daughter Samiha Azad Shochi said they were very happy with filing of the case.

Since the killing of her father, they had been demanding filing of a case and a judicial inquiry into the killings, said Shochi.

As the accused are very influential and they have all power to influence trial of the case, necessary steps should be taken by the government so that the case can run its course, added Shochi.