JCD activists leave Shahbagh after seven-hour protest over Shammo murder

Nothing has changed in nine months, just delays disguised as reform, says Chhatra Dal president

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) activists demanding justice over the murder of one of its leaders of Dhaka University (DU) chapter, Shahriar Alam Shammo, have left Dhaka’s Shahbagh after nearly seven hours of demonstrations.

They gathered at the Shahbagh and InterContinental Dhaka hotel intersections from 10am on Thursday and continued the protest until around 5pm.

Throughout the day, the protesters shouted slogans such as: “It’s been eight days, still no answers”, “No more NSI’s proctor”, “Bodies hanging on campus, what’s the proctor doing?”, “My brother lies in a grave, why is the killer free?”, and “We want justice, justice for Shammo’s murder”.

Addressing the interim government and law-enforcing agencies, JCD President Rakibul Islam Rakib said: “They have yet to reassure us. The real killers have still not been identified.”

“The interim government bears responsibility for this incident,” he added. “They have shown no sympathy simply because he belonged to Chhatra Dal. We strongly condemn that.”

Rakib warned, “If we don’t get justice for Shammo’s murder, we will intensify our protests. We won’t leave the streets.”

He called on the government to act immediately. “The state must use its forces to carry out a proper investigation. What message does it send to the public if a Dhaka University student cannot get justice?”

“What hope remains for ordinary people?”

Questioning the administration, Rakib said: “Despite the military’s support over the last nine months, why are police still so ineffective? To whom will the people turn?”

He alleged that over the last nine months, no real reforms have taken place. “They’ve only wasted time in the name of reform.”

Earlier on May 13, Shammo was stabbed with a knife at 11pm at the Suhrawardy Udyan. When he was taken to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), the doctor declared him dead.

The next day, Shammo’s brother Shariful Alam filed a case with the Shahbagh Police Station naming 10 to 12 people as suspects.

Police have arrested three people in connection with the case and remanded them.

Shammo was a student in the 2018-19 academic year at the Institute of Education and Research of Dhaka University.

He was also the literature and publication secretary of the Sir AF Rahman Hall unit of the BNP's student front.

He hailed from Sirajganj’s Belkuchi.

JCD activists and Dhaka University students have been protesting for a week, demanding justice for Shammo’s murder.

Earlier, they blocked the Shahbagh intersection as part of their demonstration.