Buet student killing: Classmates allege police non-cooperation over filing case; cops deny
The protesting students said they will submit a memorandum to the home adviser to ensure a fair investigation into the incident
Students of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) today (21 December) accused the police of lacking cooperation in filing a case over the killing of their peer, Muhtasim Masud.
The allegations were made during a demonstration held at the institution's Central Shaheed Minar, where the students presented a five-point list of demands.
Three students from the 21st batch of the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) department read out a written statement, accusing the police of non-cooperation in lodging the case.
The protesting students announced plans to submit a memorandum to the home adviser, urging a fair investigation and maximum punishment for those involved.
Additionally, they alleged that the defence lawyer was making misleading statements and criticised the media for portraying the "murder" as an accident.
Rejecting the allegations, Rupganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Liakat Ali told TBS, "Two cases have been filed against the accused. The police promptly registered a case. However, such complaints from students are unfortunate."
Muhtasim, 22, a student of Buet's Department of Computer Science and Engineering, was killed when a car driven by Al Mamun Mubin hit his stationary motorcycle at the Nila Market intersection on the 300-feet road in Purbachal, Narayanganj's Rupganj upazila, early on Friday.
His friends, Amit Saha and Mehedi Hasan, were critically injured.
Buet students, in their written statement, alleged that police arrived at the scene shortly after the accident and rushed the injured individuals, along with the car's driver, to Rupganj Health Centre for first aid.
They were later taken to Rupganj Police Station, where students accompanying them reported non-cooperation from the on-duty sub-inspector in filing the case.
The students further alleged that when another group of students and Buet teachers visited the station the following morning, the officer-in-charge was absent and delayed his arrival despite being contacted.
According to the students, Mubin's father, Brig Gen (retd) Abdullah Al Mamun, attempted to influence the police and discourage them from pursuing the case, while the accused's mother reportedly offered compensation to the victims.
Muhtasim's father, Masud Mia, eventually filed a case with Rupganj Police Station yesterday.
Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Mehedi said the accused, Mubin, Mirajul, and Asif, the three found in the car, were arrested and sent to court after dope tests.
A Narayanganj court later sent them to jail and scheduled a hearing for today.
The case details revealed that Muhtasim and his friends had gone to Nila Market for dinner around 8pm on Thursday. At around 3am, while talking to police officers at a checkpost at the Nila Market intersection, their stationary motorcycle was struck by a car driven recklessly by Mubin.
Muhtasim died on the spot, while Amit and Hasan sustained severe injuries.
Police and locals detained the car's three occupants, including Mubin. Two of the arrested individuals later tested positive for alcohol.