Sylhet mayor, former VC, and proctor named in 2 murder cases
Two separate murder cases have been filed in Sylhet today (19 August) in connection with the deaths of journalist ATM Turab and Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) student Rudra Sen during the Anti-discrimination Student Movement.
The cases were lodged at the Sylhet additional chief metropolitan court by Abul Hossain Mohammad Azrof Jabur, brother of Turab, and Hafizul Islam, one of the coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement at SUST.
Among the accused are former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Sylhet city corporation mayor Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury, recently resigned SUST vice-chancellor Farid Uddin, along with several members of the last parliament, and various leaders of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations.
In the case regarding the death of journalist ATM Turab, who was allegedly shot by police, 18 individuals, including former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Sylhet metropolitan police deputy commissioner Azbahar Ali Sheikh, have been named, with an additional 250 unidentified persons listed as suspects.
In the second case, related to the death of SUST student Rudra Sen, the same court received charges against former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former SUST vice-chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed, proctor Kamruzzaman Chowdhury, Sylhet city mayor Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury, former Sylhet-3 MP Habibur Rahman Habib, former Sunamganj-1 MP Ranjit Sarkar, and former Moulvibazar-2 MP Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel. The case names a total of 78 individuals and includes another 300 unidentified persons as accused.
On 19 July, journalist ATM Turab was fatally shot during a clash between the BNP and police near the Sylhet collectorate jame mosque after Friday prayers and later died. Five days later, Turab’s family filed a complaint at Kotwali Police Station accusing 8-10 police officers, though no specific names were mentioned.
The death of Rudra Sen occurred on 18 July during clashes between students and police, supported by the Chhatra League, at SUST amid the quota reform movement. Rudra, a second-year student of Chemical Engineering and Polymer Science, drowned while attempting to cross a canal to seek safety with friends.
Describing the incident, Rudra’s friends Imtiaz and Siam said, “Rudra was involved in the quota reform movement from the beginning. On 18 July, he was slightly injured during the police attack. We returned to our dormitory but felt unsafe as clashes resumed in the evening. While trying to cross a canal on a makeshift raft, we all fell into the water. Though most of us swam to safety, Rudra drowned. We found him after searching for a long time, but doctors declared him dead at the hospital.
