More than two months after the murder of Dhaka University’s Chhatra Dal leader Shahriar Alam Sammo, three individuals—street vendors by profession—have been taken into police remand, triggering emotional scenes in court. The accused, all visibly shaken, claimed they are innocent and were tortured into false confessions.
After being produced before court on Monday, the three accused—Mehedi Hasan, Md Hridoy Islam, and Md Ripon—broke down in tears.
“We are innocent. We sell flowers and tea on the footpath. Instead of catching the real culprits, they’ve taken us,” cried Hridoy as he was taken away by police.
He alleged that law enforcers subjected them to severe torture:
“They gave us electric shocks and beat us to confess the murder. They asked for money. We couldn’t pay. Those who paid were released. Now my child will grow up without a father.”
Others echoed similar stories, showing physical injury marks to onlookers in court.
“I was asked to testify,” Hridoy added, “but I said I knew nothing about the incident. Then they tortured me to confess. The real killers are still free.”
Relatives present in the courtroom also cried for justice. “They’re punishing the poor to protect the powerful,” one family member said. “We demand a fair investigation.”
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque granted two days’ remand for Mehedi and Hridoy, and one day for Ripon. The police, led by DB’s Ramna zone Inspector Md Akhter Morshed, had sought four days’ remand for each. State counsels Shamsud Doha Sumon and Kaiyum Hossain Noyon pressed for remand approval, while defense lawyer Aminul Karim Liton opposed it and sought bail, arguing that the accused had already been physically abused during initial detention. “They are not criminals—they are poor vendors. This is not justice,” Liton told the court.
Notably, Liton, known for his BNP affiliations, faced criticism for defending the accused in a case involving a Chhatra Dal leader’s murder, adding a layer of political tension to the hearing.
Shahriar Alam Sammo, 25, was a student of International Relations at Dhaka University from the 2018–19 session and served as the Literary and Publication Secretary of the Chhatra Dal unit of F Rahman Hall. On the night of May 13, while passing through Suhrawardy Udyan on a motorcycle, he was stabbed by unidentified attackers. He was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital by friends, where doctors declared him dead shortly after midnight. His elder brother filed a murder case the next morning at Shahbagh Police Station against 10 to 12 unnamed assailants.
As claims of custodial torture, bribes, and arbitrary arrests emerge, serious questions are being raised about the direction of the investigation. The families of the accused demanded justice outside the courtroom, insisting that real offenders are still roaming free while innocent, impoverished men are being scapegoated.
