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Published : 06 Mar 2026, 11:53 PM
The brutal murder of Islamic University (IU) teacher Asma Sadia Runa was not a random act of violence but the result of a "premeditated plot" fuelled by administrative rivalry and a staff member's personal grievance, a case filed over the murder by her husband has alleged.
Imtiaz Sultan filed the case on Thursday, claiming that his wife was killed under the "direct provocation and instruction" of three colleagues who harboured a long-standing enmity with her over a departmental power struggle.
The motive, as detailed in the case statement, traces back to September, 2024, when Runa took over as the chairman of the social welfare department. Her husband claims the transition triggered immediate friction with the former chair, Shyam Sundar Sarkar, and another teacher Biswajit Kumar Biswas.
The conflict reportedly escalated when Runa demanded transparency in departmental accounts and refused to sign financial documents without proper scrutiny, a move that allegedly irked the previous administration, according to the case dossier.
The case also points to a strategic motive involving another teacher Habibur Rahman. The plaintiff alleges that following Habibur’s promotion, he harboured "malicious intent" to become the department head, viewing Runa’s leadership as an obstacle.
It is alleged that these three individuals manipulated Fazlur Rahman, a daily-basis staff member, to harass and eventually attack the teacher.
While colleagues are accused of pulling the strings, Fazlur, who allegedly stabbed the teacher to death in her office, had his own motives rooted in job insecurity.
Fazlur, who had worked on a "master roll" basis since 2018, was recently transferred to the Political Science department after Runa issued him a show-cause notice for misconduct.
Family members claimed Fazlur was deeply frustrated over nine months of unpaid salary and his failure to secure a permanent position despite years of service.
"He felt he was being mistreated after nearly a decade of labour," Fazlur’s uncle told reporters.
Biswajit has dismissed the allegations as "trumped up" and claimed he is a victim of "political vendetta" within the university.
"I have had no contact with that department for over two weeks. These charges are completely baseless," he said.
The primary suspect, Fazlur, remains in police custody at a hospital as he tried to take his own life after the reported attack on Runa.
As the university community reels from tragedy, the police and a university-formed enquiry committee are now tasked with untangling whether the murder was an act of a disgruntled employee or a calculated hit orchestrated from within the faculty.
