Rallies, processions at RU for arrest of Prof Taher's killers

A founding teacher of the department, Prof Taher killed on the night of February 1 at his flat.

The processionists, led by the department's chairman Prof Sayed Shamsuddin Ahmed, paraded streets on the campus.

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At a rally in front of the department, Prof Sayed announced that they will continue to hold processions and rallies on the campus every Saturday and Tuesday to press the demand for arrest of Prof Taher's killers.

All teachers, students and staff of Geology and Mining department took part on the procession.

He told the rally that teachers feel insecure at RU as they do not have any security.

Academic atmosphere can not prevail on a campus where killers of a teacher can escape arrest and punishment, he said.

Teachers, students and employees are agitating for arrest of the killers of Prof Taher and Prof Yunus, but there has been little progress in investigation into the murders and arrest of the killers. The academic atmosphere will be totally destroyed if such a situation continues, he said. The university authorities must have a role in ensuring security of teachers and maintaining academic atmosphere on the campus, he said.

Without naming any of the alleged killers, he said they (killers) held political programmes on the campus on the nose of the administration and threw a challenge to police to arrest them.

RU unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) also took out a procession and held a rally in front of Central Library demanding arrest and punishment to the killers of Prof Taher.

At the rally, BCL leaders alleged that Jamaat-Shibir leaders are trying to protect Prof Taher's alleged killer Mahabub Alam Salehi, president of RU unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir.

They also criticised the police administration for not arresting Salehi.

They demanded proper prove into the murder and submission of the charge sheet soon and threatened tougher agitation for non-compliance.

BCL leaders Rubel, Turzo, Al-Helel Prince and Ashidul Islam addressed the rally.

Police arrested Taher's colleague Prof Mia Muhammad Mohiuddin, caretaker at his house Zahangir Alam, Zahangir's brother Abdus Salam and their relative Nazmul in connection with the killing.

Another killer-suspect in the case and RU Shibir president Mahbubul Alam Shalehi is absconding.

Shalehi appeared at a huge gathering on February 10. Local Jamaat-Shibir leaders including Rajshahi Jamaat Ameer Ataur Rahman boasted showing him on the dias and challenged police to arrest him (Salehi).

Caretaker Zahangir, Salam and Nazmul in separate confessions before first class magistrate Zobeda Khatun on February 7, 8 and 12 respectively said they together with Shalehi and Mohiuddin killed Taher on the night of February 1.

Zahangir hit Taher's head with a revolver taken from Mohiuddin. A semi-conscious Taher was then taken to Zahangir's room at the ground floor. Later, Shalehi and Zahangir suffocated him to death by pressing a pillow on his face.

Police later quoting Mohiuddin as saying that Shalehi supplied him the revolver. Sources also claimed that Mohiuddin was lobbying with pro-Jamaat teachers at the university for promotion.

The killers also stated that they along with Shalehi and Mohiuddin sat at Taher's house on January 30 to plan the killing.