Protests erupt at JU following ex-BCL leader Shamim Molla's mob lynching

Protests have escalated at Jahangirnagar University (JU) as students and alumni rally against escalating violence on campus, demanding justice for the recent murder of former student and Chhatra League leader Shamim Ahmed alias Shamim Molla.

Several groups, including progressive student organizations and former students, have staged demonstrations and human chains, calling for an end to extrajudicial killings, mob justice, and negligence by campus authorities. 

At 1:30 pm on Saturday, current students staged a human chain on Saturday, demanding an end to extrajudicial killings and mob justice nationwide. The demonstration began with a procession from Murad Chattar, culminating in a human chain in front of the Shaheed Minar. 

The students put forward four demands: halting extrajudicial killings and mob justice, conducting an impartial investigation into the murder of Shamim Molla, probing the actions of the Security Branch and Proctoral Body during the incident, and filing cases against the attackers from the July 15 and 17 incidents within 24 hours.

Raihan Kabir Rasel, a student from the Bangla Department, questioned the series of deaths following the autocratic ruler's demise on August 5th. He raised concerns about the security personnel's role during the mob justice incident, asking, "Who broke the lock of the security office, and where were the security staff during the killing? How Chief Security Officer Sudipta Shaheen remained in service despite being implicated in another murder case."

He also expressed doubt over the absence of CCTV footage from the proctor's office.

At 3:30 PM, current and former students of the university, under the banner of 'Sontraser Biruddhe Jahangirnagar,' staged a demonstration at the Central Shaheed Minar. The rally, moderated by Bangladesh Chhatra Union leader Rakibul Rony, saw participation from teachers, students, and alumni. 

The demonstrators stated, "Shamim Molla's killers were so aggressive that, after gathering at various locations on campus and brutally beating him, they even assaulted him inside the proctor's office to ensure his death. Unfortunately, no one from the proctorial body acted responsibly to stop the attackers during the incident."

Following the event, a memorandum with three demands was submitted to the Vice-Chancellor.

The demands include:

1. The university must take immediate action to ensure the arrest of those directly involved in the murder, along with their instigators and supporters, through a thorough investigation and prosecution under state law.
2. The Proctoral Body and security officers should be investigated for negligence, and if found guilty, they must face appropriate punishment.
3. Those found guilty of the murder should be permanently expelled from the university, and the certificates of graduates involved should be revoked.

The Former Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal Forum of the university has alleged that certain groups are conspiring to destabilize the educational environment in Bangladesh and halt student politics in the wake of this death. They also called for exemplary punishment for those responsible, pending an investigation into all past and present extrajudicial killings. This demand was made in a statement issued on Friday, signed by Md. Ashraful Alam Khan Jewel, office secretary of the Forum.

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