A. F. M. Rezaul Karim Siddique (or Siddiquee) (7 January 1955 – 23 April 2016) was a professor of English at Rajshahi University, Bangladesh. He died in an attack suspected to have been carried out by Islamist militants that has been linked by commentators to a wave of attacks on secularists in Bangladesh.

Murder

Siddique was killed on 23 April 2016 in the Shalbagan[1] area of Rajshahi when he was attacked by unidentified assailants armed with machetes while he was on his way to work.[2] His attackers are suspected to be Islamist militants.[3] He was 61 years old.[4] His son, Riyasat Imtiaz Sourav, said "My father had no personal enemy".[1] ISIL claimed that it carried out the attack,[5] however, this was denied by the Bangladeshi authorities who say that ISIL does not exist in Bangladesh.[6]

Reaction

The students and teachers of Rajshahi University organized continuous protests to demand justice for Siddique's murder. On 2 May 2016 all the teachers from public universities across the country held a three-hour work stoppage in support of the demands.[7][8]

Trial

On 8 May 2018, Justice Shirin Kabita Akhter of the Speedy Trial Tribunal in Rajshahi sentenced two to death for the murder of A. F. M. Rezaul Karim Siddique; both of them are members of Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh. One of the convict, Shariful Islam, is a student of the University of Rajshahi and other convict was Maskawat Hasan.[9] Three other accused were sentenced to life imprisonment. Shariful Islam remains a fugitive.[9][10]

Biography

Siddique was born in Bagmara Upazila, Rajshahi, in 1955. He received his advanced education at Rajshahi University from where he received degrees in 1976 and 1977.[1] Siddique lectured at Faridpur Government Rajendra College from 1981 to 1983, after which he joined the department of English at Rajshahi University. He was awarded his PhD there in 2000. Siddique was the chairman of the English department from 2001 to 2004 and became a professor in 2006. Outside the university, he founded the cultural organisations Arony Sangskritik Sangsad and Kamal Gandhar,[1] and set up a music school at Bagmara.[11] He was the founding editor of the literary magazine Kamal Gandhar.[1]

Siddique was married to Hosne Ara Sheera and had a son Riyasat Imtiaz Sourav and daughter Rizwana Hasin Shotovi, all of whom survived him.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Another RU teacher killed brutally. The Daily Star, 23 April 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  2. ↑ Who Is Rezaul Karim Siddique? Bangladeshi Rajshahi University’s Professor Hacked To Death. Vishakha Sonawane, International Business Times, 23 April 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  3. ↑ Bangladesh professor killed by suspected Islamist militants. Ruma Paul, Reuters, 23 April 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  4. ↑ Julfikar Ali Manik and Ellen Barry (23 April 2016). "Bangladesh Police Suspect Islamist Militants in Professor's Killing". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  5. ↑ Islamic State claims it killed Bangladeshi academic. Agence France-Presse in Dhaka, The Guardian, 23 April 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  6. ↑ Rezaul Karim Siddique: Murdered Bangladeshi professor 'not an atheist', daughter says. BBC News, 24 April 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  7. ↑ "Univ Teachers' Assoc joins protest", The Independent, 3 May 2016, retrieved 5 May 2015
  8. ↑ "RU professor killing: Univ teachers skip classes", New Age, 3 May 2016
  9. 1 2 "RU Prof Rezaul murder: Two JMB men to die, 3 get life term". Dhaka Tribune. 8 May 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  10. ↑ "Bangladesh: Hindu tailor hacked to death in Tangail". BBC News. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  11. ↑ Bangladeshi university professor hacked to death in Rajshahi. BBC News, 23 April 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
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