Habibullah Mizan
DHAKA, Oct 14: Six months after her husband was killed, and with the authorities yet to “punish his killers”, a Sylhet widow is pinning her hopes on the Web world to help get justice. For almost four months now, Afroza Harun, wife of slain professor Harun-Or-Rashid, chairman of the Philosophy Department of Sylhet Government Mohila College, is seeking help by writing messages on the social networking site Facebook.
Here’s a sample: ‘’Today is the birthday of my only daughter. Her father was killed. Who will wish her now? Almighty, punish the killers of my husband… No one helps us get justice.’’
And this: ‘’The society is going rotten by the day; the consciousness of the people have about to destroyed (and) no one dares to protest even when an honest young professor of a government college gets killed in board daylight. And those who protest are doing it as eyewash only. No one cares how a helpless family is passing its days.’’
Harun-Or-Rashid was killed near his house on March 21 this year — incidentally, the month of their 18th wedding anniversary. Afroza now lives in a rented house near Dhaka city, but requested The Independent against disclosing the address or location due to reasons of security.
Talking to The Independent over telephone, she said, “I have lost everything. So many people, including ministers and eminent personalities, had assured me of all cooperation and help for my family in various ways but they did not keep their words. Even my close relatives do not bother to contact me; not even by calling up.”
Asked how and why she went on the social networking site in her mission to seek justice for her slain husband, Arfoza said, “One of my brothers-in-law taught me how to use Facebook. I already have more than 4,000 friends on Facebook — many of them are renowned journalists, several are student leaders, and some are law enforcement officers.
“There are others who work with senior government offices. And I believe hearing my appeal for justice, they will definitely help me ensure exemplary punishment to those who murdered my husband and their patrons.”
She claimed she did not receive any monetary aid from the government and is in deep financial crisis at present.
“I believe the killer (prime suspect Abdul Latif) is yet to be arrested because he has the power of money backing him. I met with the then Inspector General of Police at the Police Headquarters on July 6 and he ordered the local police either to immediately arrest or to send details about the prime accused so that they can request the Interpol to issue a global arrest warrant against the accused, wherever he is hiding.”
The arrest warrant through the Interpol is yet to be issued.
The Criminal Investigation Department has now taken charge of the investigations.
Afroza said she applied to the Home Minister on May 2 to include the case in the monitoring cell for a fair and speedy trail. “But I have not get any result yet,” she said, rage mixed with despondency in her voice.
Prof Harun was killed allegedly by Abdul Latif, alias Kawser, and Rashel Ahmed on March 21 on his way to his rented house near his college. While Abdul Latif, the prime suspect, is still at large, the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) had arrested the co-accused. It was learnt from their interrogation that Latif had killed the professor after he rebuked two female students, Sujina Akhtar Munni and Safia Khatun Lipi (alias Lipi Begum), for their misconduct inside and outside the classroom.
Latif was purportedly enraged by this and stabbed Prof Harun to death.)

(This exclusive news story was published in The Daily Independent October 15,2010)

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