A human chain and a mourning rally were held in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Wednesday, demanding a proper investigation and exemplary punishment for those involved in the murder of retired Rangpur Zilla School teacher Ganapati Chakraborty and three of his family members.
The programme, organised by the Rangpur Zilla School Ex-Students Club, drew participation from over a hundred former students of the school on Wednesday morning. Around 11am, the mourning rally paraded the road in front of the press club and later held a gathering in front of the police box.
Addressing the gathering, former students of the school—including agriculturist Abdul Bari, former additional secretary Shawkat Ali, Dr Arefin Amal Bagchi, and Rakikuzzaman—expressed deep shock at the killing of four family members in the peaceful city of Rangpur.
They said that such a horrific incident of four family members being killed together had never occurred in Rangpur before, and it has caused widespread panic and a sense of insecurity among local residents.
The speakers demanded a fair and impartial investigation to identify the actual perpetrators and bring them to justice. They warned that any dilly-dallying in the name of an investigation would not be tolerated.
Claiming that the people of Rangpur know how to shed blood as well as how to realise their demand for justice, they threatened to launch stricter programmes if their demands were not met.
Demanding the immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of the killers of the four victims, including Ayush Chakraborty Priyam, a Class V student at Rangpur Zilla School, the speakers also sought the intervention of the highest level of the state to ensure justice.
On Saturday night, police recovered the bodies of retired teacher Ganapati Chakraborty, 65, his wife Pritilata Chakraborty, 50, their daughter Agami Chakraborty Prarthi, 25, and son Ayush Chakraborty Priyam, 12, from different locations inside their residence in the Machhuapara area of Rangpur city. Preliminary autopsy reports indicated that all four were strangled to death. No signs of rape or sexual assault were found on the bodies of the mother and daughter.
Following the incident, Gopinath Chakraborty, the elder brother of the deceased teacher, filed a murder case against unidentified suspects. Investigators are currently verifying the actual motive, the time of the occurrence, the method of killing, and other physical evidence.
Police have arrested two youths, Mugdha Das, 23, and Siddhartha Das, 19, who reportedly gave confessional statements under Section 164 in court before being sent to prison.
According to the police, the suspects murdered the four family members out of fear of their identity being revealed after they were prevented from consuming Yaba. The police added that the suspects then ransacked the house to stage a robbery in an attempt to divert the investigation.
However, the relatives of the victims and several quarters have raised questions regarding the police’s explanation, demanding an impartial probe into all aspects and the actual cause of the murders. Amid these concerns, the investigation of the case has been transferred from Kotwali Police Station to the Detective Branch (DB) of the Rangpur Metropolitan Police.
Former students and teachers of Rangpur Zilla School emphasised that the brutal murder of a teacher and his family members cannot be accepted under any circumstances. They maintained that justice would only be served through a swift and neutral investigation that uncovers the actual truth and ensures the highest punishment for those involved.
