Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been granted a one-month extension to submit its further investigation report in the murder case of Zahidul Islam Parvez, 24, a student and Chhatradal leader of Banani’s Prime Asia University.
Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sefatullah on Monday set 7 October as new date for the submission of the report. The court re-fixed the date after CID failed to submit the report on Monday, which was the previously scheduled deadline.
The development was confirmed by SI Moktar Hossain of the court’s Prosecution Division.
Earlier on 4 August, the same court ordered CID to conduct a further probe into the case following a no-confidence petition filed by the plaintiff.
The murder and initial charge sheet
According to case details, a violent clash erupted between students of English and Textile Engineering departments of Prime Asia University in Banani after 4pm on 19 April last year.
During the clash, Parvez, a student of Textile Engineering department, was stabbed to death by students of English department.
The following day, the victim’s maternal cousin, Humayun Kabir, filed a murder case with Banani Police Station.
Following an investigation, Inspector AKM Moin Uddin of Banani Police Station submitted a charge sheet to the court on 29 April, accusing nine people, including two young women.
The accused named in the charge sheet are Mehraj Islam, Abu Zohar Giffari alias Pias, Md Mahathir Hasan, Md Al Kamal Sheikh alias Kamal, Alvi Hossain Junaid, Al Amin Sani, Fatema Tahsin Oishee, Faria Haq Tina, and Rakib.
However, because the allegations were not proven, the investigating officer recommended acquittal of eight people from the case’s liabilities.
Among those recommended for acquittal was Sobhan Niaz Tushar, joint convener of Banani Thana unit of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
The other seven recommended for exemption are Maruf Miyaji Hridoy, Rifat, Ali, Fahim, Sakib, Nasim, and Nibir.
Dissatisfied with the recommendation to acquit these eight accused, plaintiff Humayun Kabir filed a no-confidence petition, asserting that the police investigation was flawed.
On 4 August this year, the court held a hearing on the petition. Advocate Md Abjal Hossain Mridha argued on behalf of the plaintiff, praying for a further investigation, while Harun Or Rashid represented the state.
Following the hearing, the court directed the CID to carry out a further investigation.
The charge sheet revealed that the conflict originally broke out over students giggling and laughing at each other. Although university teachers had initially mediated and settled the issue, the attackers still took the victim’s life.
Notably, the charge sheet highlighted that even though Parvez had committed “no offence,” he had called the two young women his “sisters” and apologised to them.
The deceased, Zahidul Islam Parvez, 24, was a third-year student of Textile Engineering department at Prime Asia University. He hailed from Bhaluka in Mymensingh.
