3 arrested in Sirajganj student stabbing case: A result of July Warriors’ conflict?

Local correspondent

The incident of a college student being hacked to death in broad daylight in Sirajganj has created a stir in the area. The deceased student has been identified as Abdur Rahman Riyad. A video of the incident went viral on social media, creating a huge stir.

Police have arrested three people following the incident. Police said a drive is underway to arrest others.

The deceased, Riyad, was a member of the Sirajganj district branch of the Students Against Discrimination (BAIC) Movement.

The brutal attack took place inside a CNG auto-rickshaw on Bahirgola Road, a city intersection, at around 4:30 pm on Sunday, December 28.

Eyewitnesses and police sources said that while he was sitting in the CNG, some youths suddenly came from different directions and attacked Riyad with sharp weapons. He was rescued in a seriously injured condition and taken to Shahid M Mansur Ali Medical College Hospital, where he died during treatment at night.

The deceased was the son of Rezaul Karim, a resident of Sayadhangara Khapara Mohalla in Riyadh city, and a student of Islamia Government College. Viral CCTV footage shows that the attackers hacked him to death within a short time and quickly left the scene.

The suddenness of the incident spread panic and anger among the locals. Although he was quickly taken to the hospital, Riyad’s condition was critical and he could not be saved in the end.

Locals said that the deceased Riyad and the killers were all members of a known juvenile gang in the area. The murders were committed due to a conflict between them. They had been establishing a reign of terror in the area since August 5 last year, introducing themselves as the July Warriors.

Some people, who did not wish to be named, said that members of this teenage gang were also involved in the July terror in Sirajganj.

The deceased’s father, Rezaul Karim, said his son regularly went to private school. After Maghrib, he received a phone call that Riyad was sick and was asked to go to the hospital immediately. When he went there, he found his son covered in blood.

Demanding exemplary punishment for this murder, he said, “No other father’s heart should be empty like this.”

Police said the exact reason for the murder has not yet been confirmed. However, it is initially believed that the murder could have been committed due to a previous area-based dispute or enmity.

Sirajganj Police Superintendent Md. Saiful Islam Santu said that three people have already been arrested after analyzing CCTV footage.

He also said that one of the detainees has confessed to his involvement in the murder. Necessary legal proceedings, including the handover of the body, are underway.