Prime accused Jitu on five-day remand

A Dhaka court on Thursday placed Ashraful Islam Jitu, 19, prime accused of murdering Ashulia college teacher Utpal Kumar Sarkar, on a five-day remand in a case lodged over the incident.

Dhaka Senior Judicial Magistrate Rajib Hasan passed the order as police produced Jitu before the court and pleaded to place him on 10-day remand.

Rapid Action Battalion arrested Jitu, student of class-10 of Haji Yunus Ali School and College in Ashulia, at his hideout in Sripur of Gazipur on Wednesday.

Another court on Wednesday placed Jitu's father Uzzal Hossain on five-day remand in the case. He was arrested from Kumarkhali of Kushtia on Tuesday.

Jitu attacked teacher Utpal Kumar Sarkar with a cricket stamp, striking him on head indiscriminately on the school field on June 25. Utpal succumbed to his injuries at Enam Medical College Hospital on June 27.

Utpal's brother Asim Kumar Sarker filed the case with Ashulia Police Station.

RAB’s Legal and Media Director Commander Khandker Al Moin at a briefing said Jitu killed his college teacher named Utpal Kumar Sarkar by hitting him with a stump to show his heroism to a girl.

Utpal, alongside being a teacher of the institution, was also the chairman of the disciplinary committee. So, he used to look after disciplinary issues.

As a part of his responsibility, Utpal told Jitu not to roam around with the girl freely on the premises.

Being agitated by his advice, Jitu planned to attack Utpal to display his heroism, he admitted.

According to the plan, Utpal was beaten with a stump severely by Jitu during the girls' cricket tournament in the school on June 25.

As a result of the brutal beating, Utpal died while undergoing treatment at the hospital, he further said.

After the incident, Jitu fled and hid in different parts of the country.

Later, he was arrested from Gazipur’s Sripur area in a joint operation of RAB intelligence with RAB-1 and RAB-4 on Wednesday, said Commander Moin.

About the Jitu’s life, the RAB Legal and Media Director said “Jitu took a break from his education and after the break, at first, he was admitted to a school, then to a madrasa, and lastly was admitted to Haji Yunus Ali School and College in the ninth grade and has been studying in the tenth grade.”

“Jitu used to tease and annoy the female students, and he also formed a teenage gang called ‘Jitu Dada’ under his leadership,” Commander Moin added.

Regarding the deceased teacher, Commander Moin said that Utpal complete master's degree from Chittagong University in the political science and joined Haji Yunus Ali School and College in 2013 as a lecturer in political science.