Oprotim murder: Students withdraw blockade, declare 24-hour ultimatum with 4-point demand

Students of Comilla University (CoU) have put forward a four-point demand seeking a fair trial in the murder of Ishayat Shahriar Oprotim and improvement of the country's law and order situation. They lifted their blockade of the Dhaka-Chattogram highway after issuing a 24-hour ultimatum for the implementation of these demands.

The students made the announcement after a protest procession blocking the highway on Sunday. At that time, they demanded the arrest and trial of those involved in Oprotim's murder. They also demanded the improvement of the law and order situation in Cumilla and across the country.

The students' four-point demands are: those involved in Oprotim's murder must be arrested, the trial completed within 60 days and the death sentence executed; the Superintendent of Police of Cumilla and the Officers-in-Charge (OC) of Adarsha Sadar and Sadar Dakshin police stations must be withdrawn, admitting police failure; a permanent police outpost must be established beside Comilla University, and if necessary, the Sangishwar police outpost must be relocated beside CoU; visible steps must be taken to improve the law and order situation, the CoU area must be brought under CCTV coverage, and a special technology-driven unit must be formed to quickly identify and rescue missing persons.

On Sunday morning, Oprotim was buried at the cemetery in Kotbari area after two funeral prayers. After the first funeral, students blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. Later, after a protest procession, they announced the four-point demand and lifted the blockade with a 24-hour ultimatum.

Earlier, a case was filed with Cumilla Sadar Dakshin Model Police Station over the murder of Ishayat Shahriar Oprotim (13), son of Associate Professor Nahida Begum of the Bengali Department of Comilla University. Oprotim's father, K M Firoz Shahriar, filed the case around 12:30am on Saturday. Police said three people have been detained in the incident.

Sadar Dakshin Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Rakibul Islam confirmed the matter to the media on Sunday morning. He said the accused in the case have been mentioned as unidentified.

It may be mentioned that Oprotim went missing after leaving his home in the Gandhamati area of Kotbari in Cumilla with his mother's iPhone on Friday afternoon. About 22 hours later, his body was recovered from a jungle in the South Sananda area adjacent to the Magic Paradise amusement park beside the south gate of Comilla University on Saturday afternoon.