Students from Lakshmipur district studying at the University of Dhaka formed a human chain demanding justice for the brutal killing of a mother and her two daughters in Raipur, Lakshmipur, and exemplary punishment for those responsible for the incident as well as other recent murders across the country.
The human chain was organized under the banner of Dhaka University Lakshmipur District Students’ Welfare Association at the Raju Memorial Sculpture on Thursday night.
Earlier in the day, at around noon, a young man allegedly entered a house in Raipur armed with a machete and attacked a mother and her daughters. The attack left Shahinur Begum, 40, and her two daughters, Sayma Akter, 21, and Shipa Begum, 10, dead.
Shahinur Begum and Shipa Begum died on the spot, while Sayma Akter succumbed to her injuries while undergoing treatment at a hospital.
Another daughter of Shahinur Begum, Ikra Begum, 17, sustained serious injuries. She was initially taken to Raipur Upazila Health Complex and later transferred to Dhaka for advanced treatment.
Reports also indicate that a suspect in the incident was beaten to death by an angry mob.
Speaking at the human chain, Syed Abdur Rahim, president of the Dhaka University Lakshmipur District Students’ Welfare Association, said, “Today, none of us feels safe anywhere. People are now being hacked to death in broad daylight. In Lakshmipur, four members of a single family were brutally attacked. The accused person was also killed in mob violence, raising concerns about how far the normal judicial process can proceed in this case.”
He further said, “Crime is increasing across the country, yet we are not seeing effective measures from the Home Minister or law enforcement agencies. Time and again, they are demonstrating their failure to ensure public safety.”
Addressing the Home Minister, Rahim added, “If the government cannot ensure the safety of people’s lives and property, then the Home Minister should resign and allow someone else to take responsibility.”
Meanwhile, several media outlets initially reported that deceased victim Sayma Akter was a student of the University of Dhaka. However, it was later learned that she was not affiliated with the university.
Commenting on the matter, the university’s Proctor said, “I spent the entire day verifying the information. I could not find any student of that name at the University of Dhaka. I also checked whether she was a student of any of the affiliated seven colleges, but that could not be confirmed either. I do not know why some media outlets identified her as a Dhaka University student. There may even have been a motive behind such claims, perhaps to somehow link the university to this incident.”