Police in Cumilla have formally pressed charges against four individuals, including two juveniles, in connection with the brutal murder of 13-year-old Ishayat Shahriar Oprotim, son of Comilla University Bangla Department Associate Professor Nahida Begum. The chargesheet was submitted to the court on Sunday (October 20), exactly 31 days after the recovery of the victim's lifeless body, marking a significant milestone in the swift police investigation supervised by local law enforcement authorities.
District Police Media Officer and Additional Superintendent of Police Lutfor Rahman confirmed the development late Thursday night (October 24), noting that investigators found preliminary evidence implicating all four accused in the crime. The prime suspect and alleged mastermind behind the homicide has been identified as 19-year-old Saiful Islam Tuhin, while another 19-year-old, Md Siam, along with two other juveniles aged 15 and 16, have been formally accused under sections 302, 201, and 34 of the Penal Code. Investigators stated that Tuhin and the two juveniles have already recorded confessional statements before a magistrate, whereas Siam is accused of direct planning and collaboration.
The tragic sequence of events unfolded on Wednesday (September 18), when Oprotim, a seventh-grade student at Border Guard Public School in Kotbari, went missing after stepping out of his residence in the Gandamoti area of Cumilla city. The following day on Thursday (September 19), law enforcement recovered his body from an isolated jungle in the Lalmai Hills within Sananda village under Bijaypur Union of Sadar South Upazila. According to police findings, the perpetrators lured the victim to the secluded area with the premeditated intent to rob him of his iPhone, striking him fatally on the head with a bamboo stick when he resisted the robbery.
Reacting to the submission of the chargesheet, the victim's grieving father and plaintiff in the case, KM Firoz Shahriar, expressed profound anguish and reiterated his family's demand for justice. Speaking to the press late Thursday night, Shahriar recounted that he had contacted the investigating officer three days prior, who assured him that legal documents would be filed immediately following the conclusion of the Durga Puja public holidays. Acknowledging that court proceedings are slated to resume fully following the holiday recess, the grieving father emphasized that his family’s sole remaining aspiration is to witness the swiftest possible judicial trial and the maximum punishment for those responsible for shattering their lives.
Meanwhile, the victim's family and university circles have raised persistent concerns regarding the documented ages of the two accused juveniles, with earlier demands lodged for scientific age verification through DNA testing. Legal representatives for the bereaved family noted that they intend to thoroughly review the complete chargesheet upon receiving the official copy and consult with legal counsel before deciding on further procedural steps. Highlighting the promptness of the institutional response, Additional Police Superintendent Lutfor Rahman underscored that law enforcement successfully apprehended the suspects within 24 hours of recovering the body and concluded a rigorous investigation within the stipulated timeline set by the Superintendent of Police.
