TL;DR:
- A battery-powered auto-rickshaw driver named Arju was arrested on Sunday for fatally hitting Jahangirnagar University student Afsana Karim Rachi on November 19.
- Two passengers, Abu Hayat and Nahid, positively identified both the vehicle and driver, leading to the arrest in the Gerua area near campus.
- The driver attempted to conceal evidence by modifying the auto-rickshaw’s appearance and selling it for 75,000 taka with a backdated document.
- The incident led to campus protests, resulting in staff suspensions and new safety measures including a ban on battery-operated rickshaws.
A battery-run auto-rickshaw driver has been arrested in connection with the tragic death of a Jahangirnagar University student. The suspect, identified as Arju, was apprehended on Sunday afternoon from the Gerua area near the university campus.
The arrest comes after the death of Afsana Karim Rachi, a first-year marketing student, who was fatally struck by a battery-run auto-rickshaw near the university’s Shaheed Minar on November 19. Two passengers who were in the auto-rickshaw at the time of the incident, Abu Hayat and Nahid, positively identified both the vehicle and the driver.
“We boarded this rickshaw from Tarzan point. We are certain this is the same vehicle. The driver had changed the seat, and the broken front lights were still there. The lower part of the vehicle has been newly painted,” stated Nahid and Hayat during the identification process.
University Proctor Professor Rashidul Alam noted suspicious injuries on the suspect: “When we found him through various sources, he had pain in his left hand and marks of injury near his neck. He claimed these were 15-day-old injuries, but medical examination confirmed they were recent.”
Investigation revealed that Arju attempted to conceal evidence by modifying the vehicle. The auto-rickshaw underwent several alterations, including replacement of the red seat with a blue one, repairs to broken headlights, and fresh paint. The driver sold the vehicle to Masud Auto Parts in Savar’s Chayabithi area for 75,000 taka, backdating the sale document to November 18 to avoid suspicion.
The incident sparked significant protests on campus, leading to the suspension of four university staff members for negligence in controlling unregistered vehicles. The university administration has since banned battery-operated rickshaws on campus and introduced shuttle bus services for internal transportation.
Ashuliya Police Station’s SI Alok Kumar, the investigating officer, confirmed that mobile phone tracking placed the suspect at Jahangirnagar during the time of the incident. The case investigation continues as the suspect has been taken into police custody for further questioning.
The university has implemented new safety measures, with Vice-Chancellor Professor Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan pledging to ensure a safer campus environment to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Source: Ittefaq
