‘Missing’ in Police Records in BCL Leader Shamim Molla Murder Case, Labib Becomes Chhatra Shakti President

❐ Campus Representative

Ahsan Labib, an accused in the murder case of former Jahangirnagar University (JU) Chhatra League leader Shamim Mollah, has been made the acting president of the central parliament of the National Student Power.

Labib was given this responsibility at the fifth general meeting held on Wednesday after the organization’s president, Zahid Ahsan, resigned citing personal reasons.

Ahsan Labib is serving as the Social Services Secretary of Jahangirnagar University Central Student Union (JACSU) and Senior Vice President of the Central Committee of National Student Power.

The activities of National Student Power are carried out as an associate organization of the National Citizens Party (NCP).

On September 18, 2024, former Chhatra League leader Shamim Mollah was allegedly beaten to death on the Jahangirnagar University campus. Two days after the incident, the university administration filed a case with Ashulia Police Station against eight students, including Labib, and 20 to 25 unidentified people.

Later, Shamim Mollah’s elder brother Shahin Alam filed a separate murder case in a Dhaka court on October 9, 2024. Nine students of Jahangirnagar University, including Labib, were also named as accused in that case. The university’s chief security officer, deputy registrar, and then proctor were also named as accused in the case.

The case is being investigated by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI). Investigation officer SI Anisur Rahman Bappi said that the case is still under investigation. Action will be taken against those who have not been arrested based on the investigation.

Meanwhile, although various reports have mentioned Labib as a ‘fugitive’ or unarrested accused since the case, Mahfuzur Rahman, the office secretary of the National Student Power Central Committee, has claimed that Labib is not a fugitive and is staying on campus.

Mahfuzur Rahman said that whether Labib is guilty or not is a matter of law, court and judicial system. He also commented that if the organization takes any decision based on the allegations, it will be tantamount to pre-trial judgment.

On the other hand, Ahsan Labib, who has been given the new responsibility of National Student Power, said that he has been given the responsibility of acting president to maintain the continuity of the organization’s organizational activities. He also said that a new full committee will be announced through the council soon.

The report states that attempts were made to contact Labib to inquire about his new responsibilities and the murder case against him, but his statement on the matter could not be obtained.

As the case is currently under investigation, the court has not yet made a final decision on the charges brought against Labib.

How Shamim Mollah was killed

After beating former Chhatra League leader Shamim Mollah several times, he was taken to a mobile van selling clothes inside the university’s front gate. There, Shamim was beaten again.

He was then taken to Joy Bangla Gate, beaten up for a second time and handed over to university security personnel. Ahsan Labib and Atiquzzaman Atiq, on the orders of Arif Sohel, the mastermind and chief coordinator of the Jahangirnagar University Baisha movement, and Towhid Siam, another coordinator, beat him up again for the second time.

When Shamim Mollah was beaten up 5-6 times, he was handed over to the police at around 8:30 pm. When the police came and were taking him to the car, he was almost in a semi-conscious state. While taking Shamim Mollah to the police car, he kept telling coordinator Towhid Siam (seen in the video) to beat him for the fifth time, ‘Catch him, beat him, beat him’. At this time, another coordinator, Abdullah Al Noman, incited him to beat him.

Several media outlets reported that Towhid Siam was mentioned as the planner or mastermind in the case filed in this incident.

A source in the investigation agency said that Siam was seen at the scene of the incident and later some of the group led by him were arrested.