Students of educational institutions, common people and socio-cultural organisations take to the streets in Sylhet city on Wednesday, wearing black badges protesting at the attack on Khadiza Akter Nargis.
BCL leader confesses to crime, Khadiza still on life support
Bangladesh Chattra League leader Badrul Alam on Wednesday reportedly confessed to attempt on the life of Sylhet Government Women’s College student Khadiza Akter Nargis amid widespread protests against the attack.
Khadiza, hacked on Monday, is still on life support at Square Hospitals in Dhaka.
Hundreds of students of different educational institutions, common people and socio-cultural organisations took to the streets in Sylhet city wearing black badges protesting at the attack and demanding exemplary punishment for the attacker.
Senior politicians and National Human Rights Commission chairman, who visited Square Hospitals Limited in Dhaka on Wednesday to know Khadiza’s condition, also condemned the attack and demanded exemplary punishment for the attacker.
Different human rights groups also condemned the attack and expressed their concern about continuous attacks on girls and women in the country.
The victim’s doctor at Square Hospital, Rezaus Sattar, told reporters that the condition of Khadiza was unchanged and still critical. ‘She is now on life support. Nothing can be said until 72-hour observation period ends to Friday evening.’
Badrul, assistant general secretary of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology unit of the ruling Awami League-backed student organisation, reportedly hacked Khadiza indiscriminately in the head and the hands.
Khadiza was attacked when she came out of her examination hall at MC College in Sylhet city. She is the daughter of Mashuk Miah of Ausha under Sylhet sadar upazila.
Following the attack, the victim was admitted to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital from where she was taken to Square Hospitals in Dhaka early Tuesday.
The attacker is a former private tutor of Khadiza, according to her family.
New Age correspondent in Sylhet reported that the Sylhet additional chief metropolitan magistrate Umme Sharaban Tahura recorded Badrul’s statement between 2:30pm and 4:30pm after Shah Paran police produced him before the court.
Shah Paran police station officer-in-charge Shahjalal Munsi told New Age that the court, after recording the statement, remanded Badrul to jail in the case of attempt to kill Khadiza filed with the police station by her uncle on Tuesday.
Shah Paran police sub-inspector Harunur Rashid, also the investigation officer in the case, said that Badrul admitted to the court that he attacked Nargis as she rejected his proposal for romantic affair.
Sylhet Government Women’s College students, wearing black badges and carrying banners and festoons, brought out a procession from the college premises at about 10:00am and paraded different city roads including Chowhatta, Rikabibazar, Mirza Jangal, Jallarpar and Zindabazar Road to protest against the attack on their fellow.
They also held a rally in front of Central Shaheed Minar at Chowhatta blocking Zindabazar-Ambarkhana road.
Later, they submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner demanding speedy trial and capital punishment for Badrul and security of girl students at exam halls and on their way to and from schools and colleges.
They have been boycotting classes since Tuesday and would announce the new course of movement from a rally today.
Fazilatun Nessa, a student representative of the college, told New Age that the attack on Khadiza created feelings of insecurity among them.
Students of different schools and colleges including MC College and Safir Uddin High School and College, from where Khadiza attended in the SSC exam, also staged protests in the city.
Sylhet Sadar Upazila Sachetan Nagarik Samaj formed human chains and held rallies at places including in front of Central Shaheed Minar, Court Point and Kumargaon Temukhi in the city protesting at the attack.
Sylhet city Awami League president Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran, also former city mayor, expressed his solidarity with the demands and movement by the Sachetan Nagarik Samaj.
Forest and environment affairs minister Anwar Hossain Manju, Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, women and children affairs state minister Meher Afroz Chumki and National Human Rights Commission chairman Kazi Reazul Hoque visited Khadiza at Square Hospitals. They condemned the attack and demanded exemplary punishment for the attacker.
After visiting Khadiza, Chumki said that her government would take initiatives to try the attacker in a special tribunal.
National Human Rights Commission chairman urged the police to submit the charge sheet in the case in a week or two to ensure expeditious trial and exemplary punishment of Badrul.
Source: New Age
