Prof Taher Ahmed Murder: Key suspect Salehi to enter RU campus today, address rally

Staff Correspondent, Rajshahi

Fresh tension has gripped Rajshahi University as the university unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) announced that its president Mahbubul Alam Salehi will come to the campus today.

Salehi, a key suspect in S Taher Ahmed murder case, is scheduled to preside over a discussion meeting organised by Shibir on the campus this morning. He will address a grand rally, and attend a prize giving ceremony and a cultural programme celebrating Islami Education Day, where many central ICS and Jamaat leaders will also be present. The programme will be held in front of the university administrative building.

Sources said, thousands of ICS activists will gather at the programme and to make the rally successful hundreds of Shibir activists from outside the campus are already staying in different dormitories.

Shibir has been announcing Salehi's reappearance on the campus and in the city for the last several days using megaphones and it also put advertisements in local newspapers yesterday.

Salehi has been avoiding public appearance since he availed an anticipatory bail from the High Court on July 3 after he had been declared wanted by local police.

Earlier, RU Shibir had scheduled a rally on the campus on July 5 where Salehi was supposed to show up, but on security grounds it was later cancelled.

Three persons arrested in connection with the killing of Taher gave statements before magistrates implicating Prof Mia Muhammad Mohiuddin and Salehi in the murder, local police briefed their high ups about it in May.

The investigation officer (IO) seeking an order from the court on March 8 for confiscating Salehi's property told the court in writing that police have evidence proving Salehi's direct involvement in the murder.

"He (Salehi) went into hiding to avoid arrest. Charges will be brought against him", said the IO in the prayer.

According to other arrested suspects, the revolver used in the murder, and Taher's wallet and a mobile SIM card were taken by Salehi after the killing, police said.

Meanwhile, the Masters course examinations of geology and mining department is scheduled to begin today. Salehi is also an examinee but his examinations will start on August 17, department sources said.

A large number of police have been deployed at key points of the campus since last night.

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and left leaning student leaders in the meantime expressed concerns about today's rally by the fundamentalist student group ICS and Salehi's possible reappearance on the campus on the occasion.

They expressed their dissatisfaction with the university administration for allowing Salehi to enter the campus. Earlier, Shibir activists gave death threats to the university unit BCL president and general secretary after they had protested Salehi's plan to enter the campus.

Prof S Taher Ahmed, a senior pro-BNP teacher of the department of geology and mining, went missing on the night of February 1 and his body was found on February 3 morning inside a sewer behind his campus residence.

Salehi led a Shibir demonstration obstructing the funeral procession of Taher after his body had been found. After Salehi had been implicated in the murder, he first organised a Shibir-led movement professing his innocence, then after an arrest warrant had been issued against him he went into hiding until he got the anticipatory bail.

BCL, some left leaning student organisations, and general teachers and students were demanding his expulsion from the university all through the period. But, the vice-chancellor of the university through a special order allowed him to sit for the upcoming exams instead of expelling him.