Apratim Killed at Isolated Hill in Planned Mobile Phone Robbery

Police have claimed to have uncovered the mystery behind the killing of Ishayat Shahriar Apratim, 13, the only school-going son of Comilla University Associate Professor Dr. Nahida Begum and businessman K M Firoz Shahriar. According to police, Mr. Apratim was deliberately taken to an isolated area of Lalmai Hill and killed with the intention of snatching his mobile phone.

Three people have been arrested and another has been taken into custody for questioning in connection with the killing. Comilla Superintendent of Police Md. Anisuzzaman disclosed the information at a press conference held at the SP’s office yesterday.

The police superintendent said that at around 3:12pm last Friday, Saiful Islam Tuhin took Mr. Apratim to an isolated forested area surrounded by hills in the Sananda area of Lalmai Hill. After reviewing CCTV footage, police identified Tuhin and took him into custody for questioning.

Police said Mr. Tuhin initially admitted during questioning that he had taken Mr. Apratim to the area. Based on information provided by him, police said Apratim was deliberately taken there to snatch his mobile phone.

Mr. Tuhin also told police that two other youths, Mr. Fahad and Mr. Kamrul, were involved in the plan. Police subsequently took Mr. Fahad and Mr. Kamrul into custody. At the press conference, police said an attempt was made to take Mr. Apratim’s mobile phone between 5pm and 6pm last Friday. When he resisted, a scuffle broke out between them. At one point, Mr. Tuhin and later Mr. Fahad and Mr. Kamrul allegedly struck Mr. Apratim on the head with bamboo sticks.

According to the preliminary police investigation, Mr. Apratim died at the scene. Mr. Tuhin and the others then allegedly took his mobile phone and left the area. Mr. Apratim’s body was recovered from the Sananda area of Lalmai Hill around noon the following day, Saturday.

Another young man named Mr.  Siam has also been detained. Police are verifying the evidence and information to determine whether he had any direct involvement in the killing. Superintendent of Police Md. Anisuzzaman said arrested Saiful Islam Tuhin is 19 years old. His father’s name is Nur Alam, and their home is in the Sananda area of Ward No. 24 of the city. Mr. Tuhin studied in Class XI at Comilla City College but later dropped out.

Arrested Mofazzel Hossain Fahad is 15 years old. He lives in Member Bari area of Salmanpur in the same ward and is a Class IX student at Mainamati Technical School and College. Another arrested person, Md. Kamrul Hasan, is 18 years old. His home is in Hatigara village of the South Upazila. Detained Siam, 19, is a resident of Elahipur village in the same upazila.

The police superintendent said none of those arrested had any previous PCR or criminal record. Based on information obtained during the preliminary investigation, Mr. Tuhin, Mr. Fahad and Mr. Kamrul have been shown arrested in the Mr. Apratim murder case. The police superintendent said they are also investigating whether anyone else was involved in the incident.

He said police are particularly verifying Mr.  Siam’s involvement, while other aspects of the case are also being investigated. The investigation will be completed quickly and a police report will be submitted to the court, he added.

Funeral and Burial Completed After Two Janazas

The first Janaza of Ishayat Shahriar Apratim, the only child of Comilla University Associate Professor Dr. Nahida Begum and businessman K M Firoz Shahriar, was held at Comilla University at 10am yesterday. Teachers, employees and students of the university, Mr. Apratim’s classmates, relatives and local residents attended the Janaza.

The second Janaza was held at around 11am at Gandhamati in Kotbari, Comilla. He was later buried at a graveyard beside his home. After his son’s burial, Apratim’s father K M Firoz Shahriar said in an emotional voice, “I have nothing more to say. I only want to see justice for the killing of my child. I still have full confidence in the law enforcement agencies.”

He said, “I cannot believe that my son was killed like this over a simple iPhone. My innocent son was only 13 years old and had committed no crime. Then why did he have to lose his life like this? At this moment, I only want the killers to face strict punishment.”

Comilla University Students Block Highway

Meanwhile, students of Comilla University blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway demanding speedy justice for the murder of Ishayat Shahriar Apratim and exemplary punishment for those involved.

After Apratim’s burial, they took position and blocked the highway at the Kotbari Bishwa Road area of Comilla at around 11:30am yesterday. The blockade caused a traffic jam stretching nearly 10 kilometres on both sides of the highway. During the blockade, the students chanted various slogans demanding speedy justice and exemplary punishment for those responsible for the killing.

The protesters chanted, “People die in Comilla, while police receive medals,” “No mercy for killers, no escape without the death penalty,” “Today Apratim, who will be next?” and “Blood has flowed from our chests, why is the administration silent?” The protesting Comilla University students placed four demands for a fair trial in Apratim’s murder case and improvement of the country’s law and order situation.

They withdrew the blockade after giving a 24-hour ultimatum for the implementation of their demands.
The four demands are:
The accused in Mr. Apratim’s murder must be arrested, the trial must be completed within 60 days, and the death sentences must be executed. The Comilla police superintendent and the officers-in-charge of Adarsha Sadar and Sadar Dakshin police stations must be removed, accepting responsibility for the police failure. A permanent police outpost must be established beside Comilla University, and, if necessary, the Sangishwar Police Outpost should be relocated near the university.

Visible steps must be taken to improve the law and order situation, and the Comilla University area must be brought under CCTV surveillance.
A specialised technology-based unit must be formed to quickly identify and rescue missing persons.

It may be noted that around 3:30pm last Friday, Mr. Apratim left his home in the Gandhamati area of Kotbari, Comilla, carrying his mother’s iPhone to take photographs with his friends. He did not return home afterwards.

After searching for him in different places without finding him, his father filed a general diary (GD) with Sadar Dakshin Police Station the same day. Following Mr. Apratim’s disappearance, his family members, along with teachers and students of Comilla University and police, continued searching for him in different areas.

Nearly 21 hours later, around noon on Saturday, Mr. Apratim’s body was recovered from a forest in the Sananda area near Lalmai Hill, adjacent to Comilla University. Apratim was a Class VII student at Comilla Border Guard Public School.