A student of Dhaka University (DU), Sanju Baraik, died early Monday morning after falling from the rooftop of the 10-storey Rabindra Bhaban at Jagannath Hall. The incident occurred around 5:30am, just hours after he posted a heartfelt apology on Facebook at 12:08am.
The death was confirmed by Assistant In-Charge of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital Police Camp, Md. Masud.
Sanju, a student of the 2020–21 session in the Department of Anthropology, hailed from Chunarughat upazila in Habiganj. He was the son of a tea garden worker and only the fourth student from the Baraik community to earn admission to Dhaka University.
CCTV footage from the hall shows Sanju went to the rooftop late at night and stayed there for over an hour and a half before jumping at 5:36am.
Earlier that night, at 12:08am, Sanju posted a status on Facebook in which he wrote, “I have realized my mistakes. I have disturbed someone for days. Blaming others instead of acknowledging my own faults was wrong. I sincerely apologize to everyone. I have wronged people and tried to cover up my faults by accusing others. If anyone has suffered because of me, I take full responsibility and seek your forgiveness.”
Dhaka University Proctor Associate Professor Dr. Saifuddin Ahmed said the bloodied body was found on the premises early in the morning and later sent to the morgue. He added that efforts are underway to contact Sanju’s family and that his teachers and peers from the department plan to take the body to his hometown.
Jagannath Hall Provost Professor Dr. Debashish Pal stated that a cleaning worker discovered the body after hearing a loud noise in the morning. Sanju was immediately taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Manik Kumar Das, a staff member of Jagannath Hall, said the night guard alerted them after the fall. A group of staff members then rushed Sanju to the hospital in a critical condition.