Writ seeks judicial probe

With no visible progress in the Tonu murder probe, a Supreme Court lawyer yesterday filed a writ petition with the High Court, seeking directives to the government to launch a judicial inquiry and arrest the killer(s) in 24 hours.

The petitioner, Eunus Ali Akond, also requested for a rule asking the government to explain why its inaction over arresting the killer(s) should not be declared illegal.

Demanding justice for Tonu, students of various educational institutions, including Dhaka University and Chittagong University, observed a daylong strike yesterday. 

Demonstrations were held in the capital in support of the strike, blocking road at Doyel Chattar and TSC intersection.

The protesters condemned law enforcement agencies' failure to make any arrest in connection with the March 20 murder of Sohagi Jahan Tonu, a second-year history student of Comilla Victoria Government College and a theatre activist.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is tasked with probing the murder, yesterday interrogated several people, including one of Tonu's acquaintances Peyar Ahmed, a private university student, said a CID source.

The agency also quizzed those who took Tonu to the hospital, the physician who declared Tonu dead, and those present during the first autopsy. 

"We have interrogated several people. As we are still in the dark, we are trying to get some clues through interrogation," said Nazmul Karim Khan, special superintendent of CID's Comilla-Noakhali division.

Talking to The Daily Star, Dr Kamoda Prosad Saha, head of the forensic department of Comilla Medical College, said they received the viscera report of the first autopsy. 

"We will prepare the autopsy report on receiving results of some other tests," he added.

A poster, with the strike announcement, lying on a bench of an empty arts faculty classroom around the same time. Photo: Star

The body of Tonu was exhumed on Wednesday for a fresh autopsy as police say they found the first one not matching their inquest report.

However, the findings of the first autopsy were not made public.

Also in yesterday's petition, the lawyer prayed to the court to order the government to pay the victim's family Tk 30 lakh in compensation.

"The High Court may hold a hearing on the petition tomorrow [today]," said the lawyer.

MIZANUR STILL TRACELESS

The family members have yet to know the whereabouts of Mizanur Rahman, a friend of Tonu's younger brother Anwar Hossain Rubel.

He was picked up from his Narayansar village home in Burichang upazila of Comilla in the early hours of March 28 by “some people identifying themselves as law enforcers”, alleged his family. 

Mizanur has remained missing since then, said his mother Sahida Akter and elder sister Khaleda while talking to reporters at the Comilla Press Club on Saturday.

According to the family members, a general diary was filed with Burichang Police Station in this regard on March 30. They also contacted the Rapid Action Battalion and Detective Branch of police.

“Mizanur made three phone calls to Tonu's brother Anwar Hossain Rubel after watching his [Rubel's] interview on a television channel on Tonu killing,” said Khaleda.

She thinks Mizan was “picked up” just because of his phone conversation with Rubel.

Contacted yesterday, Shah Abid Hossain, superintendent of police in Comilla, said they do not know where Mizan is. "We are looking for him," he told The Daily Star around 9:00pm.

Amid the strike yesterday, most of the classes were suspended at the DU. There were no classes at the CU, but examinations were held at the both universities.

Addressing a press conference on the DU campus, Ashraful Alam Sohel, convener of Progressive Students' Alliance, said the strike was observed in many education institutions across the country.

He announced that the alliance and Anti-Imperialist Students Union will lay siege to the home ministry on April 7 on the same ground.

Blasting the home minister for his comment that a few incidents of rape do not indicate deterioration of law and order, Ashraful said such comments from government high-ups encourage the rapists.

The home minister made the comment at a programme in the capital's Jatrabari on Saturday.

Bangladesh Chhatra Union also called a nationwide student strike for today.

In Munshiganj, students and socio-cultural activists formed a human chain at Shilpakala Chattar and later submitted a memorandum to the prime minister through district administration demanding punishment of Tonu's killer(s).