The murder of Dhaka University student Shahriar Alam Shammo has sparked nationwide outrage, but the investigation remains mired in confusion, with the main suspect still untraceable.
While three suspects have been arrested and placed under remand, witnesses insist that the actual killer remains beyond the police’s reach.
Meanwhile, contradictory claims from police officials concerning CCTV footage have only deepened public scepticism.
JCD activists block Shahbagh for 2hrs demanding Justice of Shammo
Shammo, a student of the Institute of Education and Research (IER), 2018–19 academic session, and literary affairs secretary of the Sir AF Rahman Hall unit of the opposition-backed student group Chhatra Dal, was stabbed to death by miscreants late on Tuesday night (13 May) near Suhrawardy Udyan, adjacent to the university campus.
Although five days have passed since the attack, fellow students and witnesses allege that the person who inflicted the fatal wound is yet to be arrested.
Police Rewarded Amid Uncertainty
In a move that has drawn criticism, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) awarded Shahbagh Police Station Tk 1 lakh on Thursday (15 May) for their ‘quick resolution’ of the case.
Asked about this, DMP Deputy Commissioner of Media Talebur Rahman said, “Due to the quick action by the Shahbagh police investigation team, three individuals directly involved in the incident were arrested and placed on remand. The reward was given in recognition of this effort and to encourage further good work.”
‘Sada Dal’ teachers stage human chain demanding justice for Shammo, safe campus
The Deputy Commissioner of DMP, however, offered no additional information.
The very next day (Friday), students blockaded Shahbagh Police Station, demanding the arrest of the main perpetrator—the person in a white shirt or panjabi who allegedly stabbed Shammo—and his associates. They issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the arrest.
With no progress within the timeframe, students again surrounded the police station on Sunday (18 May), expressing dissatisfaction with the investigation.
Witness Accounts of the Murder
A number of people, including Shammo’s friends Ashraful Alam Rafi and Abdullah Al Bayezid, were present during the incident. The group entered the park on motorcycles via the Ramna Kali Mandir gate intending to eat at the park's roadside stalls.
Following their meal, a dispute arose when a child allegedly shot a "taser-like toy gun" at them. As Shammo tried to confront the child, their motorbike accidentally collided with another group’s vehicle, escalating into a fatal altercation.
“We were trying to stop the child when our bike accidentally hit another. Suddenly, a few people sitting nearby attacked us,” Bayezid recounted.
“One man in a red T-shirt pushed me down and started beating me. Moments later, I saw Shammo standing but noticed his leg was bleeding profusely. He collapsed shortly after,” he said, visibly emotional.
Bayezid added that bystanders failed to assist them in taking Shammo to the hospital. Eventually, with the help of a child, they managed to transport him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
He said a man in a white shirt or panjabi stabbed Shammo in the thigh with a large knife before fleeing with around 10 to 12 others on three motorcycles. The injury, inflicted on Shammo’s right thigh, severed the femoral artery, leading to excessive bleeding and his eventual death before hospitalisation.
A forensic expert at Dhaka Medical College confirmed that injury to the femoral artery, a critical blood vessel, likely led to his death due to delayed medical attention.
Doubts Over Arrests
Following the public uproar, police detained three suspects—Tamim Hawlader, 30, Samrat Mallik, 28, and Palash Sardar, 28,—from separate locations on Wednesday morning.
Shammo’s brother, Shariful Alam, filed a case at Shahbagh Police Station naming them as suspects. All three were granted six-day remands by the court.
The accused claimed they were falsely implicated. Witness Bayezid acknowledged the trio's presence and involvement in the attack but maintained that none of them was the actual killer.
Rafi, another witness, described the real assailant as a fair-skinned man, well-dressed and not resembling a vagrant.
Another IER student, Farhan Shahriar Chowdhury, said they had been with Shammo until 10pm that night.
He raised concerns that although Shamma was declared dead by around 12:15am, the crime scene remained unsecured for six hours. “We, the students, tried to protect the scene and preserve evidence ourselves. “The main accused is still free, yet the investigation team received a reward. We strongly condemn this farcical move by the police,” he added.
Police Statement and Missing CCTV Footage
Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner Md Masud Alam said the police acted promptly following notification from the university authorities.
They searched various hospitals and apprehended two suspects from Shomorita and BRB hospitals, respectively. The third suspect was located via phone tracking and arrested from the Rajabazar area.
Masud added that CCTV footage from TSC and Doel Chattar was under analysis. But Bayezid claimed that footage from the Ramna Kali Mandir and Bangla Academy Gate was unavailable, which he attributed to police negligence.
He said, “Officer Asaduzzaman Khan personally told me that footage from the temple and Bangla Academy was not retrieved.”
When contacted, Asaduzzaman Khan told UNB, “I’m not the investigating officer, so I can’t confirm whether the footage is missing or inaccessible. Senior officers are working on this matter.”
Shahbagh OC Khalid Mansur claimed otherwise, saying, “We do have the CCTV footage. At least 11 pieces of evidence have been seized, and our superiors are working with them.”
Special Tribunal Promised for Trial
On Saturday (17 May), Dhaka University authorities held a meeting with DMP Commissioner Sheikh Sajjat Ali regarding progress in the case.
DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Niaz Ahmed Khan expressed solidarity with students, affirming joint efforts by the university and law enforcement to ensure justice.
The DMP Commissioner assured that remand proceedings would begin Sunday and a charge sheet would soon be submitted, and also promised that the case would be tried in a special tribunal for quick justice.
Security Measures at Suhrawardy Udyan
Following the killing, concerns were raised about security in the historic Suhrawardy Udyan.
In response, the government launched a crackdown on unauthorised vendors from Thursday (15 May), demolishing hundreds of illegal structures under the supervision of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).
Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, Adviser to the Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives and Youth and Sports Ministry, announced the permanent closure of the rear gate behind Raju Memorial Sculpture. Regular patrols and raids have been pledged to make the park safer.
Masud Alam confirmed that police had detained 12 individuals from the park in the days following the murder.
A ground visit at 7pm on Saturday revealed that the park remained lively even after nightfall. Couples and groups were seen socialising freely. Though security patrols were visible, people returned once officers moved on.
An Ansar member stationed there said, “Only six of us are on duty for the entire park at night. It’s extremely difficult to control everything with such limited manpower.”
Justice Elusive
As students continue to press for justice, the apparent contradictions in police statements and the unavailability of key CCTV footage cast a long shadow over the investigation. While authorities promise swift justice through a special tribunal, the central question remains: how long will it take to bring Shammo’s real killer to book?