PROFESSOR Shafiul Islam is the third teacher of Rajshahi University to be killed in the last ten years — all victims of religious extremist groups. Prof Shafiul, 48, was hacked to death by unknown assailants near his house in Choddopai area on the outskirts of the city on Saturday. Hours after the killing an extremist group calling itself Ansar Al Islam Bangladesh-2 claimed responsibility for the murder in a post on its Facebook page.
In addition to the five already detained over the incident, including a college teacher who is said to be in close affiliation with Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir, at least 31 others were held in overnight drives. His son Shoumid Shahrin Javin had earlier pointed the finger at religious fanatics as he claimed that his father practiced Baul philosophy and was a progressive humanist. This was apparently not to the liking of several people who were members of radical groups who took his life in the most cowardly manner.
Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) Commissioner Mahbubur Rahman was withdrawn on Monday, two days after the murder of Rajshahi University sociology teacher AKM Shafiul Islam. Mahbubur Rahman had been deputed as an additional commissioner to Dhaka Metropolitan Police and was removed due to the murder of the professor.
Radicalism has no place in any religion – let alone Islam. To kill any human being very few legitimate grounds are given in Islam – but Professor Islam was clearly not in violation of any of them. His murder is a barbaric act – an act of cruelty and ignorance more suited to the ages of Jahiliya than one in which Islam is truly a part of society.
Unfortunately people kill people with impunity because of the nature of our law enforcing agencies. They are being used politically, so a kind of confidence has developed in the mind-set of those people working in such agencies that they are helping the government to remain in power, so it is their claim in return to enjoy some impunity. It is a matter of common knowledge that police has become involved in a big way abusing their power. They do not care much to investigate serious crimes seriously. They find it politically easy to victimize helpless innocent persons. The real criminals get away unfinished. Crime has become a kind of good business for many in police department. Arresting innocent ones and threatening to take them in police remand has become an easy way for extorting money. In such situation, it has become difficult for the general public to have full confidence in the police that they will be engaged in serious investigation to find out the dangerous criminals for punishing them to keep the society safe.
