Capital punishment to Konika's killer demanded

Teachers and students of different educational institutions formed a human chain at Mohipur Intersection in Sadar upazila yesterday, demanding capital punishment to the killer of Konika Rani, a Class X student of Mohipur SM Dwimukhi High School.

Hundreds of local people also joined the programme that continued for an hour from 10:30am.

Addressing a rally at the venue, the speakers demanded that the district administration take immediate steps to stop drug trading in the area, which is leading a section of local youths to go astray and prompting them to commit serious crimes.

Students and teachers from Mohipur Diwmukhi High School, Mohipur Government Primary School, Mohipur College, Dhainagar High School, Gobratal Girls High School, Gobratala Women's College, Behula Girls High School, Behula Government Primary School, Palsha High School, Sajjan Girls School, Arun Bari Government Primary School, and Gobratala Government Primary School, participated in the half a kilometre-long human chain.

Quoting victim's relatives and locals, Officer-in-Charge Mazharul Islam of Sadar Model Police Station, said drug addict Abdul Malek swooped on four schoolgirls-- Konika Rani, 14, Tarin Afroz, 15, Tanzima Khatun, 14, and Moriom Akhtar, 16-- while were returning home from a private teacher's house at Mohipur village around 9:15am on Friday.

Malek hacked the four indiscriminately with a machete, leaving them seriously injured, the OC added.

Locals took the victims to Chapainawabganj Adhunik Sadar Hospital where the doctors declared Konika dead. The three others were later referred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

Locals caught attacker Malek, 25, son of Abdul Latif of Balugaon-Diar village in the upazila, from the spot and handed him over to the police.

Konika's mother Anjali Rani filed a murder case against Malek with Sadar Model Police Station on Friday night. 

Police yesterday produced Malek before the Judicial Magistrate's Court. Judge Jewel Adhikari recorded Malek's statement under Section 164 and then sent him to jail, the OC added.