'Tofazzal killed for Tk35,000'

A mentally ill young man named Masud Kamal Tofazzal was beaten to death at Dhaka University's Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall. Allegations have surfaced that before subjecting Tofazzal to severe torture, the attackers demanded Tk 35,000 from his family. When the family refused to pay, the assailants became enraged and inflicted inhumane torture on the homeless young man, leading to his death.

According to a student, wishing anonymity, during the three-day annual sports competition at Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall, six students had their mobile phones stolen, and two students lost their wallets. This incident sparked outrage among the students. In this tense situation, the homeless outsider Tofazzal was suspected of being the thief.

Multiple eyewitnesses reported that on Wednesday evening, Tofazzal was taken to the hall's guest room on suspicion of theft. After a light beating, the attackers obtained contact numbers for his relatives. The first call was made to Tofazzal’s uncle, demanding Tk 35,000. Afterward, the hungry Tofazzal was taken to the hall canteen for food.

In a conversation with Views Bangladesh, Tofazzal’s cousin Asma Akter Tania said that around 11:30 p.m., someone called her father, informing him that Tofazzal had been caught stealing. They demanded thirty-five thousand taka for his release. Her father asked her to speak with the caller.

“When I called the number, they made the same demand to me. I pleaded with them, telling them that Tofazzal was mentally ill and requested that they not beat him. I asked them to hand him over to the police if they had doubts.”

It is alleged that, frustrated by the lack of a promise for payment, the students became enraged. Tofazzal was then taken to the guest room of the extension building, where around 30 students from various batches began the second round of beatings.

According to general students, the attackers were trying to force Tofazzal to confess to stealing the phones and sought payment of thirty-five thousand taka as compensation from his family.

Meanwhile, Tofazzal's sister-in-law, Sharifa Akter, who is married to his older brother, ASI Nasir Uddin, told several media outlets that during the assault, someone called her from a mobile number, demanding two lakh taka. Since she could not afford to pay that amount, she did not send the money.

Later, the final demand of thirty-five thousand taka was made to Tofazzal's uncle. His relatives believe that this demand for money ultimately cost Tofazzal his life.

How Tofazzal was killed
The investigation by Views Bangladesh revealed that Jalal Ahmed, a student of the Physics Department from the 2018-19 session and a native of Tangail, led the attack that resulted in Tofazzal's death. He was joined by Mohammad Suman from the Department of Soil, Water, and Environment (2021-22 session), Md. Mottakin Sakin from the Department of Food and Nutrition Science (2020-21 session), Wazibul Alam from the Department of Oceanography (2021-22 session), Al Hossain Sajjad from the Department of Geography and Environment (2020-21 session), Md. Ahsanullah from the Mathematics Department (2018-19 session), and Sheikh Ramzan Ali Rocky from the Department of Geology. Among them, Sakin and Wazibul had lost their mobile phones the previous week.

Eyewitnesses reported that the beating began around 7:45 p.m. and continued until nearly midnight. Tofazzal was first identified as an outsider by Abdus Samad from the Physics Department (2020-21 session), though it's unclear whether he participated in the beating.

They also said that when Tofazzal was taken to the guest room of the extension building, it was Jalal who tied his hands. Suman started the beating, and Tofazzal fell to the ground. After being given some water, Tofazzal managed to sit up again, at which point the students clapped, pleased that they could continue beating him. The assault resumed, with Firoz being the most aggressive this time. Jalal even set fire to Tofazzal's feet with a gas lighter and struck him forcefully on his genitals with a stick. Suman later shaved off Tofazzal's eyebrows and hair.

At one point, when Tofazzal's condition worsened, a group of five to six students took him to Shahbagh Police Station. From there, he was transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital around midnight, where doctors declared him dead. Upon hearing this, the students involved fled the scene.

Negligence by administration and coordinators
Meanwhile, general students are saying that the incident, which began in the evening and ended in murder, could have been prevented if the hall authorities had responsibly intervened in time. There are also accusations of indifference from the coordinators.

When Tofazzal was detained, one of the coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and a resident student of Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall, Abu Bakar Majumdar, was present. However, instead of actively intervening, he left the scene. He returned only after Tofazzal had been sent to the hospital. Many lamented that if he had not left and had resolved the matter on time, this tragedy might not have occurred.

In response to these allegations, Abu Bakar Majumdar told journalists on Thursday evening that he was not present at the time of the incident, and upon returning to the hall and learning about the situation, he protested. "Such violence is unacceptable in any way. Some of those involved have been identified. A few have been detained, and the rest will be brought under the law."

Meanwhile, the majority of the students are blaming the teachers. They questioned why no teacher took action during the four-hour-long torture.

They added that, at one point, the proctorial team arrived at the scene after receiving the news. Some of the accused were reluctant to hand over Tofazzal to the team. For 25 minutes, the teachers tried to convince them, but instead of listening, the attackers demanded compensation from the teachers themselves.

Who led the murder
While there is some disagreement among students about who led the attack that killed Tofazzal, Views Bangladesh’s investigation revealed that all those leading the assault were political opportunists in disguise. During the Awami League's tenure, they were part of the Chhatra League, but after the student protests began in July, they resigned and joined the movement. When there were signs of the government falling, they quickly transitioned to become members of the Chhatra Dal (the student wing of the BNP).

Sources said that the leader of the attack, Jalal, joined the Chhatra League as soon as he enrolled at the university. Before the formation of the Saddam-Inan committee in 2022, he served as the former Deputy Secretary for Science and Technology in Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall’s Chhatra League. After the central Chhatra League committee was formed, he became a follower of Sheikh Wali Asif Inan. Jalal has faced numerous complaints from general students.

Several residential students, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Views Bangladesh that Jalal was involved in most of the fights that occurred in the hall over the past four years. Following the change in government, Jalal switched his allegiance to the Chhatra Dal and began wreaking havoc in the hall.

A recently promoted fourth-year student, who wished to remain anonymous, said that around 9 p.m., when an assistant residential teacher arrived to stop the incident, he was asked to pay compensation for the stolen mobile phones and was driven away. However, no one could confirm whether this was done by Jalal or Sheikh Ramzan Ali Rocky from the Department of Geology. Many students reported that the group involved in the murder is now aligned with Rocky and identifies as Chhatra Dal supporters.

Since the entire hall is covered by CCTV footage, and based on eyewitness statements, the Dhaka University proctorial body has preliminarily confirmed the involvement of Jalal and five other students, who have been handed over to Shahbagh Police Station.

The other detained students are Mohammad Suman, Md. Mottakin Sakin, Wazibul Alam, Al Hossain Sajjad, and Md. Ahsanullah.

Students mentioned that Jalal and Sajjad, both from Tangail, share a close bond. Mohammad Suman, during the anti-quota movement and afterward, formed his own committee in the hall and identified himself as an assistant coordinator of the hall. However, since no official committee was issued by the hall, that committee was dissolved. Despite this, Suman joined the hall coordinators during their flood relief activities.

Students said that most of those responsible for the excessive violence were once regular members of the Chhatra League. After the change in government, they quickly switched sides and began identifying as Chhatra Dal supporters, striving to prove themselves in their new group.

Obaidur Rahman, the Additional Deputy Commissioner of the DMP’s Media Wing, said that in connection with Tofazzal’s murder, the Dhaka University authorities have filed a murder case against unidentified individuals with Shahbagh Police Station. Following the filing of the case, the investigating officer and senior officials of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police have visited the crime scene and collected evidence. The Dhaka University proctorial body has already handed over six students to Shahbagh Police Station as suspects in the incident.

The inquest report by Sub-Inspector Aminul Islam of Shahbagh Police Station mentioned bruises, swelling, injuries, and a bloody contusion below the right knee on Tofazzal's body.

Tofazzal’s cousin, Tania, said, “They brutally killed my brother and fled after leaving him at the hospital. Our family will fight for justice through legal means.”

Who is this Tofazzal?
The deceased, Tofazzal, hailed from Kathaltali Union in Patharghata Upazila of Barguna district. He was the president of the Kathaltali Union Chhatra League. In his personal life, he was emotionally hurt due to a romantic relationship, which initially caused him to lose some of his mental stability. Shortly after this, within a very short period, Tofazzal's mother, father, and only older brother passed away. Left without family or guardians, Tofazzal completely lost his mental stability and had been suffering from mental illness for the last three to four years.

For the past two to three years, Tofazzal often wandered around the Dhaka University campus. According to people who knew him, whenever he encountered someone familiar, he would ask for money or food.

They believe that he might have gone to Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall in search of food.