A Bangladeshi student leader, Shamim Ahmed, was beaten to death at Jahangirnagar University in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
Ahmed, who was a top member of the student wing of the ex-premier Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party, was attacked in what appears to be retaliation for his role in violence against protesters.
According to police officer Abu Bakkar, Ahmed was beaten by unknown attackers on Wednesday night. Bakkar explained that Ahmed was targeted for leading an attack on student protesters back in mid-July. At that time, protests were growing and calling for the removal of Sheikh Hasina from office.
“We took him to the Gonoshasthaya Hospital, where he later died,” Bakkar said.
Hospital staff confirmed that Ahmed had died after being brought in with multiple injuries.
Ahmed is the second leader from the Awami League’s student wing to be killed this month. Another leader, Abdullah Al Masud, died on September 8 after being beaten by a mob in Rajshahi, a northern city in Bangladesh. Masud was also accused of organizing counter-demonstrations against the student protests that contributed to Hasina’s fall from power.
Sheikh Hasina’s government was overthrown last month after facing accusations of human rights abuses, including the detention and killing of political rivals. More than 450 people died during the violent weeks leading up to her removal. Hasina fled the country in early August, just before protesters took over her palace in Dhaka.
Since Hasina’s ousting, many of her cabinet ministers and senior party members have been arrested. Her government’s appointees in the courts and central bank have also been removed. In addition, at least 25 journalists believed to be loyal to Hasina’s regime have been detained since she was replaced by an interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohammed Yunus.
