With no visible progress in the investigation, protests continued
across the country yesterday, demanding justice for Sohagi Jahan Tonu
who was killed inside Comilla Cantonment area on March 20.
Students of Comilla Victoria College, where Tonu used to study,
blocked the Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Nandanpur area from 11:00am to
2:00pm.
They also brought out a procession participated by members of different local socio-political organisations.
A faction of Gonojagoron Mancha, led by its spokesperson Imran H
Sarkar, marched to Comilla from the capital in the morning and joined
the locals in a rally there.
At the rally, the Mancha demanded an "unequivocal statement" from the Prime Minister, condemning the incident.
A second-year student of history and a theatre activist at Victoria
College, 19-year-old Tonu was found dead about 400 yards away from their
house inside Comilla Cantonment on the night of March 20, according to
her family members.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday said law enforcers through investigation would unearth "the truth".
"It is not appropriate to talk [over the issue] before the
investigation ends. After investigation, we hopefully will be able to
tell you what really had happened there," he told a private television
channel.
Superintendent Shah Abid Hossain of Comilla police yesterday said they were yet to arrest anyone in connection with the killing.
The army authority that earlier announced full co-operation into the
investigation has handed over some "vital pieces of evidence" to the
investigators, he said.
Police also visited the crime scene, the SP added.
Meanwhile, Officer-in-Charge AKM Manjur Alam of the Detective Branch (DB) of Police in Comilla told BBC
Bangla yesterday that they were yet to receive the autopsy report.
The case was handed over to the DB on Sunday.
Two delegations of rights bodies Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) and
Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association visited the crime scene
yesterday. They also talked to Tonu's family.
The district police chief on Saturday had told BBC Bangla that they
were facing "some limitations" while probing the murder, as the crime
scene is in a restricted area like cantonment.
THE MANCHA MARCH
The Gonojagoron Mancha held a brief rally at Shahbagh in the capital before starting the march to Comilla at 10:00am.
Activists of left-leaning student bodies Bangladesh Chhatra Union and Samajtantrik Chhatra Front joined the programme.
After reaching Comilla town in the afternoon, they held a rally.
Speaking there, Imran H Sarkar said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took to the street demanding justice for Yasmin.
"We want her to take steps over Tonu murder incident as well," he said.
The Mancha also announced hour-long strikes at all educational
institutions of the country and formation of a human chain from 12:00pm
on Wednesday.
BNP SLAMS GOVT
BNP leaders yesterday criticised the government and Sheikh Hasina for "their silence" over the murder of Tonu.
"Tonu's killers feel encouraged as the government high-ups including
the prime minister are silent over the issue," BNP Standing Committee
Member ASM Hannan Shah said at a human chain in front the Jatiya Press
Club.
At another human chain in the same venue, another BNP standing
committee member, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, alleged people are not
safe anywhere in the country.
The killings of people like Tonu and journalist couple Sagar-Runi
happened due to the absence of good governance in the country, he said.
MORE PROTESTS
Dhaka University students formed a human chain at TSC on the campus
and blocked the Shahbagh intersection for around half an hour in the
afternoon, demanding immediate arrest of the killer(s) of Tonu.
Students of East West University, North South University and Stamford
University also brought out processions, protesting the murder.
In Chittagong, several thousand people formed a human chain and
staged demonstrations in front of the Chittagong Press Club in the
afternoon, demanding capital punishment for the culprit(s). source:.thedailystar.
