Staff Reporter :
Three students of the Department of Film and Media Related Studies of Stamford University Bangladesh who were crew members of a video team under slain Major (retd) Sinha Md Rashed Khan, were wrongfully arrested in connection with the murder of Sinha.
They are Shahedul Islam Sifat and Shipra Rani Debnath and Tahsin Rifat Noor.
Among them Tahsin Rifat Noor had handed over to his family and Shahedul Islam Sifat and Shipra Rani Debnath sent to Cox’s Bazar jail.
Police filed two cases against Shahedul Islam Sifat and one against Shipra Rani Debnath.
In the FIR police mentioned that one case against Sifat for hindering the activities of police and another under narcotics law. Shipra has been accused for keeping foreign and local liquor including cannabis with her.
Meanwhile, students of the Department of Film and Media Related Studies of Stamford University Bangladesh have demanded the overall security and unconditional release of Sifat and Shipra.
The students formed a human chain in front of the National Press Club on Thursday morning to protest their arrests and demanding their immediate release.
They acknowledged that Sinha, who was shot dead by the police on Marine Drive in Cox’s Bazar on July 31, lost his life in a possible case of murder.
However, they claimed that freelance photographer Sifat and film maker Shipra are totally innocent.
“We don’t understand how Sifat and Shipra can be accused if it’s confirmed that Sinha was shot dead by the police. They are falsely accused,” said one student.
“Both Sifat and Shipra are very passionate about their work. They are known as calm, well-behaving students,” said another.
“We have some practical courses every semester that require students to work with different projects to gather practical experience. Some of us even bear our educational expenses through the earnings from such projects.”
“As colleagues and classmates, we are concerned and apprehensive about the safety of Sifat and Shipra in the current circumstances,” added another student taking part in the protest.
On the other hand, the victim’s families have claimed that they were wrongfully arrested.
Shipra’s mother, who lives in Mirpur upazila of Kushtia, said that her daughter was very passionate about film making and thus got herself admitted in the Stamford University’s Film and Media Related Studies Department.
“She has no bad habits. We are just shocked by what happened with our kid’s,” she added while seeking anonymity. “We are confused. Everyone in the family is now terrified,” she added.
According to the mother, Shipra was living alone in Dhaka’s Rampura area for her studies. “We were informed about the incident on Sunday. The allegations brought against my daughter are untrue and fabricated,” she alleged.
Shipra’s father, former BGB member Navkumar Debnath, said the allegations against his daughter were fabricated and she is being framed as part of a conspiracy.
Shipra is from Hajarhati village in Kushtia’s Mirpur upazila. She is the eldest sibling and has a younger brother.
Shahedul Islam Sifat’s mother is living in London. In Bangladesh Sifat’s valid guardian and his uncle Masum Billah said, the incident happened in front of Sifat. It makes him shocked. He is going under trauma.
He also claimed that Sifat has not any connection with the incident. He is the victim of conspiracy, Sifat uncle added.
Sinha was killed in a police firing at Baharchara police outpost on the Marine Drive Road Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar on July 31.
On August 2, the authorities suspended 21 police officers, including the in-charge of Baharchara police outpost, in connection with the killing.
