Black badges, silent procession at CoU seeking justice for Apratim murder
Photo: Collected
Students of Cumilla University (CoU) have observed a silent procession and black badge-wearing programme demanding justice for the murder of schoolboy Ishayat Shahriar Apratim and implementation of the students’ four-point demand.
The silent procession began from the university’s Gol Chattar at around 11:30am on Tuesday. Students of different departments took part in it, all with black badges in hand. The procession later paraded different roads of the campus.
From the programme, the students demanded exemplary punishment by bringing those involved to book through a speedy and fair investigation of the Apratim murder. At the same time, they called for speedy implementation of the four-point demand they have raised.
Police recovered Apratim’s body last Saturday noon from a jungle at the foot of the Lalmai hills in the Dakshin Mor area of Cumilla city. Before that, he went missing after going out to take photographs with friends. A general diary (GD) was later filed with the police station on behalf of the family. Police said there were injury marks on Apratim’s head.
Apratim was the only child of Dr Nahida Begum, associate professor of the Bangla department of Cumilla University. Police have already arrested several people over this murder.
Since the incident, students of the university have been carrying on a movement demanding that the mystery of the murder be unravelled, those involved be tried and the safety of students on the campus and in adjoining areas be ensured.
The students said justice for the Apratim murder must be ensured quickly and their four-point demand must be implemented. They also announced they would continue the movement until the demands are met.