Tejgaon College students protest in Farmgate over death of peer Sakibul

Students of Dhaka’s Tejgaon College have launched a protest to demand the swift arrest of those accused in the death of Sakibul Hasan Rana, who died after being injured during a clash at a college hostel.

They have been staging a demonstration outside the college campus in Farmgate since early on Wednesday.

At 12:45pm, Kya Shan U Balpan, officer-in-charge of Tejgaon Police Station, told bdnews24.com: "The students are not blocking the road. They are protesting in front of their campus.

"They assured us they would not block the road and are keeping their protest within the campus area."

One of the protesters, Farhan Ahmed, said: "On the 6th of December, our classmate Sakibul Rana was brutally beaten by several outsiders led by Chhatra Dal leaders who entered the hostel. He was in the ICU from the 6th to 10th December. On the 10th, he breathed his last.

“We gave the college and local administration 48 hours to take action, but we haven't seen any significant progress. They have detained only one person and have stalled since then.”

He added, "We want the police administration to conduct a proper investigation, bring the criminals to justice, and ensure they receive exemplary punishment. We will not stop our movement until we get justice."

Muntasir Mahmud, a central organiser of the Students Against Discrimination protests, told bdnews24.com at noon: "Students are protesting to demand the arrest of those accused in the death of Sakibul Hasan Rana. They had initially announced a road blockade but later stepped back from that decision.

"When the students announced the blockade, additional police personnel were deployed around the college campus."