Student Jitu attacked teacher Utpal to show off 'heroism', says RAB

Ashraful Islam Jitu, the teenaged student accused of killing teacher Utpal Kumar Sarker in Savar's Ashulia, carried out the attack to show off "heroism" to a female student, the Rapid Action Battalion has said.

Utpal, a lecturer of political science at Haji Yunus Ali School and College, was also the chairman of the institution's disciplinary committee. He used to correct students often through counselling and punishment.

The teacher had asked Jitu to refrain from hanging out with the female student at the premises of the institution some days ago, enraging Jitu, RAB spokesman Khandaker Al Moin said at a press conference on Thursday after arresting him in Gazipur's Sreepur on Wednesday. 

"Jitu attacked the teacher Utpal that day with a plan to show off heroism to that female student. He brought the stump used in the attack from home in the morning of the incident,” said Moin.

The RAB said documents at the school showed Jitu is 19 years old, not a minor as assumed earlier. The case document also said he was 16 years old. Jitu had faced many disruptions to his academic life, the RAB explained. The female student, whom Jitu tried to impress, is studying in the college section of the institution.

"Jitu has been accused of misbehaving with teachers and students. Many complained about him sexually harassing female students, smoking, and reckless motorcycle driving at the school compund,” Moin said.

"This boy from a locally influential family formed a gang of teenagers called 'Jitu Dada'. They used to roam around on a microbus and harass people. If someone complained against him, he would show off more with his motorcycle.”

Utpal, as the chairman of the institution's disciplinary committee, used to counsel Jitu on these issues. The teacher also talked to the female student.

“Utpal had asked Jitu many a time to get a decent haircut, and stop smoking and driving motorcycle at the school premises. The latest addition was the incident with that girl,” the RAB official said

After beating Utpal on Jun 25, Jitu left the school and went to his area. As the incident began to gain publicity with Utpal's condition deteriorating, Jitu went to a relative's house in Manikganj, according to the RAB.

When Jitu realised that the law enforcers were following him, he went to an acquaintance’s house in Pabna from Manikganj. He went to a friend's house in Danua village in Gazipur's Sreepur via Aricha in the early hours of Tuesday. Later, a joint team of RAB-4 and RAB-1 arrested him from there.
Jitu's relatives are members of the institution's governing body. Police arrested the suspect's father, Ujjal Hossain, on Wednesday. The court has granted police five days to   grill both Ujjal and Jitu.

Moin said the RAB did not receive information that anyone helped Jitu escape.