DSCC Mayor Taposh wants murderer of Notre Dame College student hanged

Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DNCC), not only agreed with the other demands of the students but also demanded a trial of the murderer of Notre Dame College student Naeem Hasan.

He was speaking at a rally of agitated students demanding justice for the murder of Naeem Hasan, a student killed in front of Nagar Bhaban on Thursday.

DSCC Mayor Taposh said, "I empathise. Naeem, a meritorious student, was killed in a road accident in my city corporation area by a car belonging to my corporation. This isn't why I entered politics. To me, the happiness of my child, his laughter and love, is very, very precious. I do not just agree with the demands you have made. I further demand that the murderer be hanged. I demand that no Naeem be killed on these city roads."

"I promise you that we will get rid of all the problems in Dhaka South City Corporation InshaAllah but we still have to abide by the law. We have to abide by government rules and regulations. It was the government assigned driver's responsibility to drive according to those rules. He did not fulfil that responsibility and a different driver drove the car in his place. So everyone has to suffer the consequences of punishment. We have suspended the person who was responsible and will remove him from the job, InshaAllah. The driver who was driving the car is a murderer and we will ensure maximum punishment under the law, InshaAllah. I say with you, I want the execution of that murderer." 

To reassure the protesting students that he would advocate for their demands at the highest levels of government, the mayor said, "I will take strict measures to ensure that no outsider can drive any DSCC vehicle. I will advocate for you at the highest levels of government and will make arrangements to realize all your demands from the government. We had an election manifesto that Dhaka would be a safe city and I will work shoulder to shoulder with you to make the roads safer."

Referring to Naeem like his own child, mayor Taposh said, "Recently, I went on holiday with my child. But I could not have imagined that I would lose Naeem the day I returned. Naeem is not just your brother, not just your friend - he is my seventeen-year-old child."

He said he did not know with what words to comfort the bereaved parents and said, "I too lost my parents when I was a little less than four years old. I had a hard time. I also had resentment in my mind and that I would try for justice in the murder of my parents when I grew up. I wanted to kill the murderers with my own hands but I didn't do that. I have fulfilled my promises to my mother holding back all the pain in my chest and have tried to be a kind and lenient human being. After my studies, I stood in court for the trial of my parents' murder and Bangabandhu's murder. "

During this time, in response to the demands of the students, Naeem announced the construction of a foot-over bridge in South City with his own funds within this year.