“Drop the Report or Leave the Chair!”- IU Erupts in Protest

Students at Islamic University (IU) staged a fresh protest demanding the release of a thorough investigation report into the mysterious death of Sajid Abdullah, a meritorious student from the 2021-22 academic session of the Al-Quran and Islamic Studies Department. The protesters called for the administration to submit the report immediately or resign, chanting slogans such as “Drop the report if you dare, or get out of that chair,” “Compromise or Struggle, only struggle,” and “Who are you? Who are we? Sajid, Sajid!”

On Tuesday, 29 July, the deadline set for submitting the investigation report, students began gathering in front of the administration building from the morning, led by the Al-Quran and Islamic Studies Department. Representatives from various student organizations, including the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Chhatra Dal, Islami Chhatra Shibir, Islami Chhatra Andolan, Chhatra Union, and Bangladesh Jamiat-e-Talaba-e-Arabia, were present. The protesters raised slogans like “My brother is in the grave, what is the administration doing?” “The killer is free, why?” and “We want justice, justice for Sajid’s murder.”

The students expressed frustration over the administration’s inaction, noting that despite the passage of significant time since Sajid’s death, no progress has been visible. They highlighted that on the day Sajid’s body was found, no administrative officials were present. Although the students had set a deadline last Saturday, the administration requested an extension until Tuesday. However, no updates on the investigation have been provided. “The administration’s excuses will not be tolerated,” the students stated, warning of stricter measures if a comprehensive report is not published by the end of the day.

Professor Dr. Nasiruddin Mizhi, head of the Al-Quran and Islamic Studies Department, said, “The Vice-Chancellor, upon returning from abroad yesterday, visited the site of the incident. Today, he called me to discuss the students’ reactions and the campus situation. He has summoned the head of the investigation committee and assured that updates on the investigation will be shared with the students today.”

The university’s proctor, Professor Dr. Shahinuzzaman, added, “The investigation committee’s work is ongoing. The Vice-Chancellor has called them to review the progress, and by 2:00 pm today, we will brief the students on the investigation’s status.”