Students of Comilla University (CoU) held a silent procession and wore black badges for the third consecutive day, demanding justice for the murder of Ishayat Shahriar Apratim and the swift implementation of their four-point demand.
Apratim was the only child of Nahida Begum, an associate professor in the university’s Bangla Department.
The programme commenced at 11:30am on Tuesday with a one-minute silence observed in front of the university’s BBA Faculty.
Students then brought out a silent procession that marched past the Law Faculty via Shaheed Abdul Kaiyum Chattar before concluding back at the chattar.
Many participating students wore black badges during the event. The students’ four-point demand includes:
- Arresting all suspects involved in Apratim’s murder, completing the trial within 60 days, and executing the death penalty.
- Withdrawing the superintendent of police (SP) of Comilla and the officers-in-charge (OCs) of Adarsha Sadar and Sadar South police stations after accepting responsibility.
- Establishing a permanent police outpost in the Comilla University area and taking visible steps to improve law and order.
- Forming an immediate response unit for the safety of missing people.
Farha Khanam, a student of the Bangla Department from the 2021–22 academic session, said while students had previously staged various demonstrations and protests, Tuesday’s event was organised primarily as a silent expression of grief and protest.
She noted that although they had been inquiring about the implementation of their demands with relevant authorities since the first day of the incident, no visible progress has been made, leading them to hold the programme to demand the execution of the four points.
Mohammad Rabbani, another student from same department, alleged police indifference from the very first day, noting that while suspects were arrested after Apratim went missing and was killed, justice has not yet been ensured.
Expressing concern over a potential conspiracy regarding the age of the accused, he urged the government and administration to conduct DNA tests to determine their exact age and ensure proper punishment through a fair trial.
Araf Bhuiyan, a student of the Physics Department, said students have been on the streets since the abduction and brutal murder of Apratim, holding demonstrations and road blockades after his body was recovered.
He said that despite placing their four-point demand, they received no response from high-level administration.
Earlier on Monday, students formed a human chain and brought out a protest procession at Comilla University for the same demands.
On Sunday, they observed various programmes, including a road blockade, demanding the implementation of their four-point demand.
