Bring Shakil's killers to book in 72 hours

Police are yet to arrest the prime suspect in the killing of Muhtasim Billah Shakil, 18, an HSC examinee from town's Shaheed Syed Nazrul Islam College.

Protesting the killing and demanding immediate arrest of the killers, teachers and students of the college formed a human chain in front of the college yesterday morning.

Wearing black badges, they also brought out a procession in the town to press the demand. No classes and examinations were held at the college yesterday.

Later, the agitating students and teachers held a rally on the campus. They gave a 72-hour ultimatum to arrest the prime accused and his accomplices.

"We will announce a tougher agitation programme if our demand is not met within the deadline", said AKM Abdur Rafiq, principal of the college.

Police on Thursday night detained Sagor, also an HSC examinee from Syed Nazrul Islam College, for interrogation in connection with the murder.

He was picked up from Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH) area within hours after his friend Shakil died of stab wounds at the hospital. He was, however, released from Kotwali Police Station early yesterday.

Shakil came under attack from some of his friends allegedly led by Piyash, a student of town's Royal Media College, for protesting harassment of a girl at a fair held at Town Hall premises Thursday afternoon, police said.

He got into an altercation with his friend Piyash over the girl's harassment. At one stage, they scuffled with each other.

Piyash along with about 15 of his friends got into another altercation with Shakil in College Road area around 5:00pm when the latter was on his way home at Akua Madrasa Quarter in the town.

All of a sudden, the youths stabbed Shakil indiscriminately and left the area, leaving him critically injured.

Locals rushed Shakil to MMCH where he died around 7:00 pm. An autopsy was carried out on his body at the hospital that night.

Police have been deployed in the college area. They are raiding different areas to arrest Piyash and his accomplices, said Md Kamrul Islam, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station.

Shakil's father Emdadul Haque lodged a case with Kotwali Police Station, accusing 14 people, including Piyash, on Friday night.