Jagannath University student, assistant proctor detained over Abontika’s death by suicide

In a note on Facebook, Abontika blamed her classmate Amman and the assistant proctor for leading her to take her own life

Amman Siddique [left] and Din Islam [right]

Police have detained Jagannath University student Amman Siddique and Assistant Proctor Din Islam over the death of pupil Fairuz Abontika by suicide.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch assisted in the detention of Amman and Din, DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman said on Saturday evening.

Abdul Mannan, superintendent of police in Cumilla, said a team of police in the district, where Abontika lived and died in, was working with the DMP.

The process to launch a formal investigation through the filing of a case was under way, he added.

Later at night, Cumilla Kotwali Police Station chief Feroz Hossain confirmed that Abontika’s mother Tahmina Shabnam started a case against Amman and Din.

Earlier in the day, protesters at the university in the capital threatened to besiege Vice-Chancellor Sadeka Halim’s office on Sunday if the arrests were not made.

Besides justice for Abontika, they demanded expulsion of Amman and Din, security of Abontika’s family, and freedom of the institute’s cell against sexual abuse to operate.

Protests were also held in Cumilla city. In Dhaka, she stayed in a hostel for her studies.

Abontika hanged herself from a ceiling fan at her home in Cumilla on Friday night.

Before her death, she accused Amman of sexual harassment through “online comments”.

She added that Assistant Proctor Din defended Amman, and threatened to expel her.

“It’s technically murder, not suicide,” she said, describing how her “efforts to live on failed after threats online and offline”.

Amman and Din denied the allegations.

Amman said Abontika might have been distressed over a general diary, which accused her of spreading rumours about Amman and others via a fake Facebook ID in 2022. He said Abontika had admitted to her “mistake” at that time.