DU suspends classes, exams for half a day on Thursday over Shammo killing

The Dhaka University administration has announced a suspension of classes and exams for half a day on Thursday in the wake of the murder of Jatiyabadi Chhatra Dal leader Shahriar Alam Shammo.

The decision to observe a mourning period for Shammo, a student of Institute of Education and Research, came during a meeting at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban on Wednesday, said Vice-Chancellor Niaz Ahmed Khan.

Earlier on Wednesday, Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, local government advisor; Md Nazrul Islam, secretary of the housing and public works ministry; Md Rezaul Maksud Jahedi, Local Government Division secretary; Md Shahjahan Mia, Dhaka South administrator; and representatives of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) attended the meeting around 1:30pm.

The VC later spoke about several decisions made in the interest of the university’s security.

“The gate behind the Raju sculpture will be closed. In addition, CCTV cameras will be installed in Suhrawardy Udyan, which will be renovated in the style of Ramna Park, as a smart park.”

Niaz said, “A police box will be set up by the DMP which will work as a security hub in the park. The university administration will deploy teachers from different departments there to work in tandem.”

A team will also be formed to conduct regular raids in Suhrawardy Udyan, Niaz added.

“We have always been concerned about our security. We have carried out drives before. But we could not do it for a long time. So, even raids could not assure safety.

“Therefore, we will form a team for conducting drives, where members of the DMP and our proctorial team will be present. We also informed the public works ministry to set up lights everywhere in Suhrawardy Udyan.”

Around 11:30pm on Tuesday, Shammo, a student of the Institute of Education and Research in the 2018-19 session, was stabbed and fatally wounded after getting into an altercation over a motorbike crash near the Suhrawardy Udyan section of the campus.

The 25-year-old was then rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where emergency doctors declared him dead.

A native of Sirajganj’s Ullapara Upazila, he was the literary and publications secretary of the Sir AF Rahman Hall unit of the BNP’s student front.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Jamsed Alam sent three suspects arrested in connection with the murder to jail pending trial, as no remand petition has been filed by police.