Ganajagaran Mancha Spokesperson Imran terms Shibir leader’s death extrajudicial killing

Ganajagaran Mancha Spokesperson Imran H Sarker has termed the death of an Islami Chhatra Shibir leader undergoing treatment in the Rajshahi Medical College prison cell an extrajudicial killing.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 19 May 2016, 08:11 PM
Updated : 19 May 2016, 08:26 PM

Shibir leader Hafizur Rahman, arrested in connection with the murder of Rajshahi University teacher AFM Rejaul Karim Siddique, died on Thursday morning while undergoing treatment at the hospital.

In his Facebook post, Imran described the death as an “extrajudicial killing” that dealt a “blow to the rule of law”.

Hafizur was the Shibir secretary of Rajshahi city’s Ward No. 19 and a second-year student of public administration at Rajshahi University.

Police had initially said he had died of cancer, but Rajshahi district jail doctor ASM Sayem said he was a victim of sickle cell anaemia.

Imran, who has a medical degree, said any one suffering from the disease should have been given haemoglobin, and whether such a person should be directly subjected to the judicial process should be rethought.

Imran became known worldwide by forming the Ganajagaran Mancha three years ago to press for the trial of top Jamaat-e-Islami leaders for crimes against humanity they committed during the 1971 Liberation War and the banning of the party for siding with Pakistan during the War.

Shibir is Jamaat’s student wing.

Imran has been a critic of the government with regard to extrajudicial killings, abductions, murders and rape.

Now, he has protested the death in custody of a member of Shibir, which is ideologically on the opposing side of Ganajagaran Mancha.

When his attention was drawn to this, Imran told bdnews24.com that he had mentioned the incident to criticise extrajudicial killings. The person or party affiliation was not a matter of consideration.