Yet another RU teacher murdered

Assailants hacked to death Rajshahi University English professor AFM Rezaul Karim Siddiquee on Saturday morning near his house in Rajshahi city, around 17 months after assailants had killed another teacher of the university near his house on the city outskirts.
The local police primarily suspect Islamist extremists behind the murder having similarities with the nature of attacks carried out in recent times on bloggers and secular writers.
Siddiquee, 58, came under attack at Shalbagan Battala crossing under Boalia police station, just 200 yards off his house, while he was going to catch a university bus to go to the campus.
A 22-year female, who happened to witness the incident from her house’s balcony, said two young men in a motorcycle attacked the professor, also a cultural activist, from behind around 7:35am.
They hacked his neck indiscriminately, leaving him dead on the spot and sped away in the bike.
Police said they found the body of Rezaul, a lover of art and music, lying at a narrow lane near his house.
Rajshahi Metropolitan Police commissioner Md Shamsuddin told New Age that there were similarities among the killings of Professor Rezaul, bloggers and another RU professor Shafiul Islam, who was killed in 2014, as they were attacked with sharp weapons from behind.
‘So we primarily think it is an act of an Islamist extremist group,’ he added.
Middle East-based militant group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the murder of Professor Rezaul.
United States-based terrorism monitoring group SITE Intelligence Group in a twitter said, ‘#ISIS’ ‘Amaq Agency reported the group’s responsibility for killing Rajshahi Univ. prof Rezaul Karim for “calling to atheism” in #Bangladesh.’
The incident sparked protests on the campus, elsewhere in the country and abroad.
Several hundred students of the university blocked the Rajshahi-Dhaka highway in front of the university for half an hour from 10:15am while teachers of all departments boycotted classes in protest at the killing.
The law enforcement agencies, however, could not confirm the motive behind the killing immediately.
A case was filed with the Boalia police by the victim’s family accusing unnamed miscreants, officer-in-charge Shahadat Hossain said. But none was arrested so far, according to the police.
Siddiquee’s wife Hosne Ara Shira said after finishing breakfast with family members, wearing a white shirt and deep blue pants, with a side bag hanging on his shoulder, he left the house around 7.30am.
She said he was a well-behaved man having no enemy or trouble with anyone.
The murder took place 17 months after RU sociology department professor AKM Shafiul Islam was hacked to death by assailants near his house at Chauddapai on the outskirts of Rajshahi city on November 15, 2014.
In the past 12 years, assailants killed a total of four teachers of the university.
Associate professor of English Abdullah Al Mamun, once a student of Rezaul Karim at the same department, said that Professor Rezaul had no affiliation with any political parties and never wrote for any blog.
Beyond his identity as teacher, he was a passionate lover of art and music, Abdullah described.
The RMP commissioner and RAB commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Mahbub Hossain visited the house of Rezaul and talked to the family members.
Mahbub Hossain said they were also conducting a ‘shadow investigation’ to find out the reason behind the murder.
Family members said Rezaul Karim used to play sitar, was an amateur photographer and recently set up a music school at his native village Baghmara, once known for ultra-Islamist outfit Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh’s operations.
The professor was also the editor of little magazine Komalgandhar and was an adviser to a cultural troupe. He served English department for 30 years.
Officer-in-charge of Boalia police station Shahadat Hossain told New Age that the body was handed over to the family after post-mortem examination at Rajshahi Medical College.
When contacted, RMC forensic professor Enamul Haque told New Age that they were yet to prepare the report.
He said the attack might have been carried out by professional killers. They hacked at just under his head with sharp weapons from behind.
Rezaul is survived by his wife, daughter Shatabhi Siddiquee, who completed Master’s in English from the university, and son Riyasat Imtiaz Sourav, now studying at Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology.
Sajidul Karim, brother of Rezaul, said he would be buried at their family graveyard at Bagmara.
His first namaz-e-janaza was held in his residential area at Shalbagan and the second one at RU central mosque at 5:00pm before his body was brought to his village home in the evening for burial.
Amnesty International, an international rights organisation, demanded the attackers of Professor Rezaul be held to account. ‘The vicious killing … is inexcusable and those responsible must be held to account,’ Amnesty’s South Asia director, Champa Patel, said in a statement.
‘This attack sadly fits the gruesome pattern established by Islamist extremist groups in Bangladesh who are targeting secular activists and writers,’ the statement reads.
Meanwhile, Rajshahi University Teachers’ Association secretary Shah Azam Shantanu on Saturday announced boycott of all classes and examinations today in protest at the murder of their colleague.
RUTA also threatened to launch non-stop tougher agitation if the perpetrators were not brought to book immediately.
Around five hundred students of English department at 11:30 brought out a protest procession on campus.
RU vice-chancellor Muhammad Mizanuddin and pro-vice-chancellor Chowdhruy Sarwar Jahan expressed deep concern over the killing and demanded proper investigation into the murder.
Rezaul Karim completed his graduation and post-graduation from the RU English department in 1976 and 1977 respectively. He worked at Faridpur Govt Rajendra College as lecturer in 1981-83. Later, he joined RU English department as a lecturer in 1983.
Different socio-political organisations and teachers’ associations of Khulna University and Chittagong University, among others, protested against the murder.
Teachers and students of Islamic University formed a human chain on the campus in Kushtia, demanding immediate actions against the killers.
Expressing concern, Ganajagaran Mancha spokesman Imran H Sarkar said in a facebook post that all were being killed, excepting the ruling party leaders.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net