DU student beaten for Facebook post on historic March 7, family files case

A case has been filed over the assault on Rahid Khan Pavel, a Philosophy Department student of Dhaka University, for posting about Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on social media Facebook on the occasion of historic March 7.

The student's mother Parveen Akhtar submitted a complaint at Shahbagh Police Station on Monday night.

Shahbagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Moniruzzaman has confirmed the matter.

According to the complaint, Rahid Khan Pavel is a student of the 2020-21 academic session in the Philosophy Department of Dhaka University. Around 3:00 am on Monday, he left home on a motorcycle to have sehri. When he reached in front of Shaheed Minar adjacent to Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) campus under Shahbagh Police Station, several individuals blocked his path.

Pavel's family has alleged that Saifullah, Hasib-Al-Islam, Saeed Afridi, Riyad Mal, Sardar Nadeem Shuvho, Md Sakib, Forqan Uddin Mohi, Bayezid Hasan, Hime, Sanjib Hossain, along with 10-15 unidentified individuals, attacked Pavel with locally made weapons, iron rods, steel pipes and sticks.

The complaint states that when Saifullah attempted to hit Pavel's head with an iron rod, Pavel tried to defend himself with his hand, resulting in one finger of his right hand being broken. Later, when Hasib-Al-Islam struck from behind aiming for his head, it hit his left ear, and he was seriously injured. At the same time, others attacked various parts of his body with iron rods and steel pipes.

When Pavel tried to flee, the attackers chased him and beat him again in front of SM Hall. At one point, they took a mobile phone, Tk 5,000 cash from his wallet, motorcycle keys and an ATM card from him.

Later, a rickshaw puller took Pavel in an injured condition to Shahbagh Police Station, where he was beaten again. Police rescued him and, with the assistance of Dhaka University's proctorial team, sent him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.

Shahbagh Police Station officials have said the complaint has been received, and the matter will be investigated with necessary legal action taken.