Progress has stalled in the murder case of mentally challenged Tofazzal Hossain who was beaten to death at a Dhaka University residential hall following the 2024 mass uprising.
Although police and the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) submitted their findings, and a Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate’s court ordered the arrest of 22 individuals on 10 March, no arrests have been made in nearly two months.
When questioned, a Shahbagh Police Station official claimed to be unaware of the court order.
The accused individuals, meanwhile, remain on campus, continuing to attend classes and reside in residential halls.
The university administration has yet to take any disciplinary action, and two of the six suspects initially detained in connection with the killing are currently out on bail.
The brutal lynching of Tofazzal at Dhaka University’s Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall on 18 September, 2024, sparked nationwide outrage.
Heartbreaking footage showed the mentally challenged youth, accused of stealing a mobile phone, being beaten with a cricket stump, trampled, and mockingly force-fed rice between assaults.
In the wake of the tragedy, the interim government promised swift justice, with Law Adviser Asif Nazrul publicly declaring, “This murder will definitely be tried.”
Nearly two years later, however, Nazrul ignored repeated calls and messages seeking updates on that promise.
The legal battle has since stalled in bureaucracy.
Following lawsuits filed by the university’s Estate Office and Tofazzal’s cousin, six students were initially arrested. While four remain in custody, two, Md Ahsan Ullah and Wajibul Alam, are out on bail.
The investigation has expanded significantly. Although an initial 1 January charge sheet named 21 individuals, court objections led to a deeper probe by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI). According to university’ estate office supervisor Mohammad Amanullah, the PBI’s subsequent report implicated 28 individuals.
Acting on these findings, a Dhaka court issued arrest warrants on 10 March for 22 absconding accused – Md Firoz Kabir, Md Abdus Samad, Md Shakib Raihan, Md Yasin Ali Gain, Md Yamuzzaman, Md Fazle Rabbi, Shahriar Kabir Shovon, Md Mehedi Hasan Imran, Md Ratul Hasan, Md Sultan Mia, Md Nasir Uddin, Md Mobasher Billah, Shishir Ahmed, Md Mohsin Uddin (alias Shafi), Abdullahil Kafi, Sheikh Ramzan Ali Rocky, Md Rashed Kamal Anik, Md Moniruzzaman Sohag, Md Abu Raihan, Redwanur Rahman Parvez, Rabbikul Riyad, and Md Ashraf Ali Munshi.
However, no arrests have been made so far. Hall union leaders and resident students allege that several of the accused continue to move freely in and around the university campus despite being named in the case.
Despite active warrants, no arrests have been made. The accused openly roam the campus, including Sheikh Ramzan Ali Rocky, a 2025 hall union vice-president candidate, and Md Rashed Kamal Anik.
Anik remains on the campus and spoke directly to TIMES. While admitting he was present at the scene, Anik denied any involvement in the murder and confirmed he is still residing in the hall, noting that the police have never attempted to arrest him.
He further claimed that the initial investigating officer had recommended dropping charges against seven individuals, including himself. “Those who are still studying are still in the hall,” Anik said.
Law enforcement authorities, however, continue to offer shifting explanations.
When questioned, a Shahbagh police official deflected responsibility by saying, “The previous OC used to look into the case. He has been transferred now.”
The official declined to comment on whether the transferred officer retained any accountability for executing the warrants.
When contacted later, the newly appointed Officer-in-Charge, Md Moniruzzaman, similarly distanced himself from the investigation. “I don’t have that much information. I came two days ago; I don’t know much about this matter,” Moniruzzaman said.
He refused to comment further after the case was reportedly referred to the Detective Branch (DB), leaving it entirely unclear whether the local police station or the intelligence department is responsible for making the arrests.
The university administration has been equally passive. While eight students were temporarily suspended in September 2024, no action has been taken against the dozens later implicated by the PBI.
Officials too continue to pass the buck.
Former proctor Professor Saifuddin Ahmed deflected questions about the PBI suspects, saying, “I am not in charge.”
Hall provost Md Ilyas Al-Mamun claimed the murder was “not a story from my time,” directing queries to the proctor’s office.
The incumbent proctor, Md Israfil Ratan, also deferred responsibility, saying he needed time to organise his office.
This bureaucratic inertia stands in stark contrast to the brutality of the crime.
On 18 September 2024, students detained Tofazzal over alleged phone theft, interrogating and beating him.
In a chilling twist, his attackers paused to feed him rice at the canteen before resuming the assault with cricket stumps and bamboo sticks.
Tofazzal died of severe trauma and excessive bleeding. The harrowing scene drew widespread horror, with critics grimly comparing the attackers’ seated arrangement around the victim to Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper.
