Jagannath University (JnU) student Jobayed Hossen was brutally murdered in a premeditated attack allegedly orchestrated by his former student, Shabnam Barsha, and her long-time boyfriend, Mahir Rahman.
Jobayed, a statistics student and active member of the Cumilla District Students' Welfare Association and JnU Chhatra Dal, had been tutoring Barsha for the past year. Police stated the motive stemmed from a relationship conflict: Barsha, who was in a nine-year relationship with Mahir, developed a temporary emotional attachment to Jobayed, leading her to reject Mahir. However, she later rejected Jobayed and reconciled with Mahir, and the two began planning the murder on September 25.
The killing occurred on Sunday around 4:45 pm, when Mahir, along with two friends, stabbed Jobayed multiple times in the stairwell of his third-floor flat using newly purchased switchblades, reportedly at Barsha's instruction. Jobayed's blood-stained body was found face down on the third-floor landing.
Although Barsha initially denied involvement, both she and Mahir confessed during a joint interrogation. Four individuals, including Barsha, are now in police custody, and the groundwork for the murder case is nearing completion. Following the incident, JnU students staged protests demanding immediate arrests.
