The Islamic University (IU) unit of Bangladesh Jamiat Talaba-e-Arabia staged a protest rally on Saturday, demanding a speedy trial in the murder of Shaheed Sajid Abdullah, a student of the Department of Al-Quran and Islamic Studies from the 2021–22 academic session. The protesters also demanded the identification of those involved and exemplary punishment.

The organisation’s leaders and activists brought out the procession from the university’s Faculty Building at around 2:00 pm on Saturday (October 10). The procession paraded through various campus roads before ending in a brief rally in front of the university’s Administrative Building.

During the procession, the protesters chanted slogans including “Nara-e-Takbir, Allahu Akbar,” “Who are you, who am I? Sajid, Sajid,” “We demand justice for Sajid’s murder,” “We will not accept delays in justice,” and “We will not let Sajid’s blood go in vain.”

Addressing the rally, the organisation’s former president, Mohammad Sajedullah Sheikh, said more than a year had passed since Sajid Abdullah’s murder, yet justice had not been ensured.

He said the university administration must clearly inform students about the progress of the investigation. Failure to deliver justice, he warned, could leave the campus vulnerable to similar incidents in the future.

“Our movement will continue until justice is ensured for Sajid,” he said. He also urged the university administration to clarify whether the previously announced compensation of Tk 1 crore for Sajid’s family had been paid.

He further called for an end to the occupation of residential halls, displays of power and confrontational politics on campus. Students want to study and engage in politics openly in a safe and free environment, he said, urging the administration to take effective measures to maintain campus stability. If the administration fails, the organisation will raise its demands with the state, he added.

The organisation’s president, S. M. Shamim, said that despite the passage of more than a year since Sajid’s murder, those responsible had yet to be identified and brought to justice. Although the new administration had promised to ensure justice, no visible progress had been made, he alleged.

He demanded an impartial investigation, the immediate arrest of those responsible and exemplary punishment. He also called for the fulfilment of the promise to provide Tk 1 crore in compensation to Sajid’s family and demanded that a newly constructed university hall be named in his memory.

Shamim also called for justice in the murder of university teacher Asma Sadia Runa and urged the authorities to ensure students’ safety.

He said there was no place for murder, enforced disappearance, violence or disorder at a university. If the administration failed to ensure students’ security, it must accept responsibility for its failure.

“We do not work as agents of any particular side; rather, we work to uphold students’ rights, ensure justice and fulfil the university’s core objectives,” he said.

He also called for integrating Islamic and general education, implementing announced programmes and restoring a conducive academic environment. At the same time, he urged all student organisations to unite until justice was ensured for Sajid Abdullah.