Police seek remand over RU teacher's killing

Police have sought another seven days to question 11 suspects detained over the killing of Rajshahi University teacher AKM Shafiul Islam.

The Rajshahi Metropolitan Magistrate's court on Friday sent the detainees to jail and fixed Sunday for the remand hearing.

They were questioned once over two days in connection with the killing.

"We want to question them more since we've become pretty sure about militants' involvement in the murder," Motihar police OC Alamgir Hossain, investigating the case, told bdnews24.com.

Sociology teacher Islam was stabbed to death near the university campus on Nov 15. His son claimed militants were behind his father's death.

Police, too, claimed to have information on militants' involvement with the killing.

RU Registrar Entajul Haq filed a murder case the following day without naming anyone.

Police detained a number of people during raids from Rajshahi and sought remand for 11 people, all of them Jamaat-e-Islami supporters.

OC Hossain said they had got information on a possible militant-link with the killing.

Several hours after Prof Islam's death, a self-proclaimed militant organisation, Ansar al Islam Bangladesh-2, claimed responsibility on a Facebook post.

The OC said the militant group was believed to be a new one in Bangladesh and investigation was on into its possible links with Prof Islam's death.

He said the absconding armed cadres of the Jamaat and its student front might be involved with Ansar al Islam Bangladesh-2.

"We've become certain after questioning the detainees that absconding Jamaat-Shibir cadres are involved in clandestine activities," he added.