Murder of Biswajit Das

Biswajit Das was a 24-year-old tailor in Dhaka, Bangladesh, who was murdered on 9 December 2012 by members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of the governing Awami League party.[1] On that day there was a nationwide road blockade, called by the opposition 18 Party Alliance. That morning, Das was on his way to his shop, Amantron Tailors at Shankhari Bazaar in Old Dhaka, when one or more small bombs exploded near an anti-blockade procession of BCL activists from Jagannath University.[2][3][4] A group of them mistook Das for an opposition supporter and chased him from near Bahadur Shah Park into a nearby building.[3] They attacked him with machetes, iron bars, and hockey sticks.[2] Das attempted to escape, but fell down at Shankhari Bazar Road. A rickshaw-puller took Das to Mitford Hospital, where he shortly died of his wounds.[3]

Biswajit Das
Biswajit Das being hacked by members of Bangladesh Chhatra League
Born
Dhaka, Bangladesh
DiedDecember 9, 2012(2012-12-09) (aged 24)
Dhaka city
Cause of deathBlade weapons
NationalityBangladeshi
OccupationTailor

The murder in broad daylight was captured live on television, and appalled the nation.[1][2] Within days, Jagannath University expelled three students and cancelled the certificates of two others for alleged involvement in the murder. The following week they expelled four more.[5]

By 25 December, seven suspects were in police custody.[6] An eighth man was arrested on 26 May 2013. The eight were among twenty-one indicted on 2 June for Das' murder. All were activists of the Jagannath University unit of the BCL.[2] Their trial started on 14 July.[7] All twenty-one were found guilty on 18 December 2013. Eight were sentenced to death and thirteen were sentenced to life in prison. Thirteen, including two of those sentenced to death, were convicted in absentia and, as of August 2017, have not been apprehended.[4][8][9]

In its 2012 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, the United States Department of State cites Das' murder as an example of political violence in connection with general strikes in Bangladesh.[10]

References
  1. "Biswajit Murder: HC verdict on Aug 6".
  2. "21 BCL men indicted".
  3. "Eight to die for Biswajit murder, 13 get life". bdnews24.com. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  4. "Bangladesh sentences eight students to death for murder". LiveMint. Agence France-Presse. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  5. "JnU expels 4 more". bdnews24.com. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  6. "7th Biswajit killing accused on police remand". bdnews24.com. 25 December 2012. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  7. "Biswajit Killing Case: HC order rejected". Dhaka Tribune. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  8. "Bangladesh sentences eight students to death for murder". BBC News. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 2017-01-29.
  9. "8 Awami activists get death for murder of Hindu man". The Hindu. PTI. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 2017-01-29.
  10. "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012: Bangladesh". U.S. State Department. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
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