Two years after Toffazzal Hossain was beaten to death at Dhaka University’s Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall, the trial in the widely discussed case has yet to begin. The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has submitted a charge sheet against 28 people, but the continued absence of 17 accused has delayed progress towards the trial.
Of the 28 accused, nine are currently on bail, two are in jail and 17 remain absconding. A court had fixed 23 August for a report on whether the absconding accused had been arrested. The report was not submitted on that date, and the court has now fixed 28 September for the next hearing on the matter.
Toffazzal’s cousin, Asma Akter Tania, expressed frustration over the delay. “It has been two years, yet the trial has not started. We naturally have grievances. We want justice,” she said.
The complainant, Mohammad Amanullah, a supervisor at Dhaka University’s Estate Office, said he keeps track of the case on each scheduled hearing date. He said the family and those involved in the proceedings want the actual offenders to receive appropriate punishment.
PBI Additional Superintendent of Police Hannanul Islam, who led the investigation, said the agency had completed its investigation and submitted a charge sheet against 28 people. The court accepted the charge sheet and issued arrest warrants for those who remain at large.
According to Hannanul Islam, the charge sheet contains the full names and addresses of the accused. He said that after the warrants were issued, locating the absconding accused became the responsibility of the relevant police station.
Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruki said that once the case is ready for trial, it will be sent to the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court. Charges will then be framed, followed by the presentation of witnesses. The prosecution will seek to complete the trial as quickly as possible so that the victim’s family can obtain justice.
SI Shah Alam of the prosecution department said no report had yet been received regarding the arrest of the absconding accused. Once the report is submitted, the court will determine the next course of action.
Case began after videos spread online
Toffazzal was killed on the night of 18 September 2024 at Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall. He was beaten after being suspected of theft. Videos and photographs of the incident later spread across social media, prompting widespread public criticism and attention.
The following day, Amanullah filed a murder case at Shahbagh Police Station. Shahbagh police inspector Mohammad Asaduzzaman investigated the case and submitted the first charge sheet to the court on 30 December 2024. It named 21 Dhaka University students.
The university administration subsequently filed a petition objecting to that charge sheet. Following the objection, Saifuzzaman, then a Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate, ordered the PBI to conduct a fresh investigation on 26 February of the following year.
After the renewed investigation, PBI Additional Superintendent of Police Hannanul Islam submitted a fresh charge sheet against 28 people, adding seven names to the earlier list. On 10 March, the court accepted the charge sheet and issued arrest warrants against the accused who were still absconding.
The accused include Mohammad Jalal Mia, a former deputy science and technology secretary of the Chhatra League unit at Fazlul Haque Hall and a student of the Department of Physics; Ahsan Ullah alias Bipul Sheikh; Al Hossain Sazzad of the Department of Geography; Mohammad Mottakin Sakin Shah of the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science; and Suman Mia of the Department of Soil, Water and Environment.
The other accused are Wajibul Alam, Firoz Kabir, Abdus Samad, Sakib Raihan, Yasin Ali, Yamuzzaman alias Yam, Fazle Rabbi, Shahriar Kabir Shovon, Mehedi Hasan Imran, Ratul Hasan, Sultan Mia, Nasir Uddin, Mobasher Billah, Shishir Ahmed, Mohsin Uddin alias Shafi, Abdullahil Kafi, Sheikh Ramzan Ali Rocky, Rashed Kamal Anik, Moniruzzaman Sohag, Abu Raihan, Redwanur Rahman Parvez, Rabbikul Riyad and Ashraf Ali Munshi.
Among the accused, Redwanur Rahman, Rashed Kamal, Abu Raihan, Moniruzzaman, Ahsan Ullah, Sazzad, Mottakin Sakin, Wajibul Alam and Ramzan Ali are on bail. Jalal Mia and Suman Mia remain in custody, while the other 17 accused are absconding.
With the trial yet to begin two years after the killing, the next significant development is expected on 28 September, when the court is scheduled to consider the report concerning efforts to locate and arrest the absconding accused.
