Suspect detained over RU teacher murder is Jamaat-e-Islami student leader: Police

Police have identified the youth detained for his suspected involvement in the murder of Rajshahi University teacher Prof AFM Rezaul Karim Siddiquee as a local Islami Chhatra Shibir leader.

Hafizur Rahman was picked up from his home in Rajshahi City’s Chhotobongram on Saturday night, RMP Detective Branch OC Khandker Jahidul Islam on Sunday told bdnews24.com.

Rahman is in his second year doing bachelor’s in public administration at the university and the secretary of Shibir’s Ward No. 19 unit. Shibir is the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami.

He is currently being questioned at the DB office, said OC Islam.

Earlier in the morning, Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Shamsuddin had told reporters about detaining a youth, but did not disclose details.

Prof Siddiquee taught Enlish, edited a literary journal 'Komal Gandhar' and was involved with several cultural organisations. He was murdered on Saturday morning.

His killing followed a now-familiar pattern witnessed in the recent murders of bloggers and online activists as well as foreigners – using sharp weapons and targeting the head or neck – in Bangladesh.

Quoting witnesses, police said two men on a motorcycle attacked him within 50 yards of his residence in the city while he was on his way to the university.

Police suspect local Islamist radicals’ involvement in the killing while jihadist threat monitoring group SITE reported that the Middle East-based Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the murder.

His family on Saturday night started a case against several unidentified persons with Boalia police.

The case was later transferred to DB for investigation.

The DB monitoring team held a meeting with university authorities at the vice-chancellor’s house on Sunday morning.

The team’s head Additional Commissioner Tamijuddin Sarker told reporters that police are attaching “highest priority” to this murder investigation.

“We hope to catch the killers soon.”

Commissioner Shamsuddin said security in and around the university has been beefed up. They are working to provide other teachers who live outside the campus with security.