University student allegedly beaten to death over ‘stealing’ rice at mess
Md Azmul Hossain
A university student named Md Azmul Hossain (21) was allegedly beaten to death in Khulna after he was accused of stealing and eating rice at a student mess.
The incident took place Friday night, September 18, at a four-story student mess on Islamnagar Road behind Khwaja Khan Jahan Ali Residential Hall of Khulna University in the city.
Azmul Hossain was a first semester student in the Department of English at private North Western University.
He enrolled at the university on September 10. He was the son of Qutub Uddin and Asma Begum of Bara Shaluya village in Darshana police station area of Chuadanga.
Locals said the entire four-story building on Islamnagar Road is used as a student mess. Around 50 to 60 students live there.
Azmul rented room D-8 on the fourth floor about a year ago. There are eight rooms on the fourth floor. Mehedi, a former student of Gopalganj University of Engineering and Technology, who manages the mess, lives in room D-2.
Local residents said they heard from students at the mess that Azmul ate Mehedi's rice on Friday night. Mehedi along with several students from the mess and outsiders allegedly took him to the rooftop and beat him over the allegation that he had stolen and eaten the rice.
Residents nearby heard a sound as if something had fallen from the rooftop. Later, they found Azmul lying in the alley. Students from the mess took him to Khulna Medical College Hospital by ambulance. Doctors there declared him dead.
Hospital authorities said the students from the mess quickly left the emergency department after learning about Azmul's death.
A doctor at the emergency department of Khulna Medical College Hospital said there were injury marks all over Azmul's body. Both of his legs were broken.
At around 12:30 pm Saturday, a visit to the mess found seven of its eight rooms locked. Azmul lived in room D-8.
When someone knocked on the door of room D-1, Khulna University student Labib Biswas Russell came out.
He said Mehedi and several others took Azmul to the rooftop over the allegation of theft. He was beaten there. However, Russell said he did not know how Azmul died.
On the rooftop, there were signs of dust caused by the movement of many people's feet on one side. There were also signs that the coating on parts of the rooftop had come off.
Fatema, a domestic worker at the mess, said, “There had been allegations against Azmul of stealing money and a laptop before. However, students from the mess and outsiders beat him Friday night over the allegation that he had stolen and eaten rice. They did not listen even when I told them not to.” She later learned that Azmul had died.
A female resident of a building behind the mess said she heard a loud sound at around 12:45 am Friday night. She opened the door and came outside and saw a boy lying in the alley in front of the house. Later, students from the mess brought an ambulance and took him to the hospital.
Meanwhile, at around 1:30 p.m. Saturday, a visit to Harintana Police Station in the city found Azmul's father Qutub Uddin sitting in front of Officer in Charge (OC) Md Iqbal Hossain. His mother Asma Begum, who is in her 40s, was sitting silently on a bench behind him.
Qutub Uddin said, “I have two sons. Azmul is the elder one. He came to Khulna from home a year ago for his studies. He could not get admitted to any university last year. He was admitted to the English Department of North Western University only 10 days ago and went home. He left home Friday afternoon and came to Khulna around 5:30 p.m. I last spoke to Azmul over the phone at around 9 p.m.”
Qutub Uddin said, “At that time he said, I am fine. Don't worry about me.”
He further said, “After midnight, another boy called from my son's mobile phone. He said, your son has caused trouble. If you want him, bring Tk 100,000 quickly. If you do not bring the money, you will not get your son. I said, we are poor people. Where will we get Tk 100,000? Then he said, what do you do? I told him, I work in agriculture. Then the boy again said, come quickly. I said, I am coming quickly by train. He said, whether you come by train, bus or plane is your matter. Then I came in the morning and saw that my son was no longer alive.”
Wiping his eyes in front of the assistant police commissioner (AC) and the OC, Qutub Uddin said, “I was very happy that my son had been able to get admitted to a university. The boy who spoke to me at 9 p.m. and said he was fine and told me not to worry about him. That same boy was beaten to death by other students. Who will I seek justice from? I will not seek justice from anyone. We are poor people. Our home is very far away. We will not get justice. I have sought justice from Allah. Allah will deliver justice.”
OC Md Iqbal Hossain said the incident was being investigated. He said police would file a case as the complainant if Azmul's father did not file one.
Humayun Kabir, assistant commissioner of Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP), said, “We will take all legal measures that can be taken regarding this murder.”
North Western University Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Kanai Lal Sarker said Azmul Hossain enrolled at the university on September 10. The university authorities did not know much about him. They had spoken to Azmul's parents and advised them to take legal action. He also said the university would provide all kinds of assistance.
Earlier, on August 17, a young man named Md Raju, 26, was allegedly beaten to death on suspicion of being a child kidnapper. On the night of September 5, another young man named Sajmir, 24, was allegedly beaten to death on KueT Road in the city over an allegation of theft.
With these incidents, three people have allegedly been beaten to death in Khulna city in the past two months.
