Asma Sadia Runa was a Bangladeshi academic who was murdered in her office at the Islamic University, Bangladesh in March 2026. Her killer, Khandakar Fazlur Rahman, who was a supporting staff, tried to commit suicide but survived. Police investigation revealed a web of conspiracy for planning the murder that involved two of her colleagues, Shyam Sundar Sarkar and Habibur Rahman, and the university's officer Biswajit Kumar Biswas. The three conspirators were suspended by the university on the third day. A lack of action on the alleged perpetrator led to the university students and Runa's family holding a road-block protest in Kushtia.
Background Runa, 40 years of age, was an assistant professor in the Department of Social Works at the Islamic University, Bangladesh. Her research focussed on social interactions issues related to use of social media. She was appointed chair of the department in September 2024. Runa's husband, Muhammad Imtiaz Sultan, is a temporary teacher at Kushtia Polytechnic Institute. The couple has three daughters and one son.
The problem started when her predecessor, Shyam Sundar Sarkar, refused to hand over the financial documents and funds. The university's Assistant Registrar, Bishwajit Kumar Biswas, informed Runa that she had no need to acquire the financial accounts and had to simply approve documents put before her. Runa protested by saying that financial matters should be made transparent and that she stood against any misuse of funds.
Runa's husband later recalled that Runa had found records of Sarkar, Biswas and Khandakar (or Khondakar) Fazlur (or Fazlu) Rahman embezzled and misused the departmental funds soon after she took up the chair. Fazlur Rahman was a temporary office assistant employed using the departmental funds since 2018. He was paid on daily basis for his services and since 5 August 2024, just before Runa became the chair, he was never paid. Runa had applied to the university for Fazlur's salary as the departmental fund was used up. After hearing Runa's plan, Fazlur Rahman believed that he would now be paid a double salary, from the department and from the university. Runa explained to him that the salary would be only from the university.
In protest, Fazlur Rahman began to take up aggressive behaviour and often verbally abuse Runa, even in the presence of other faculty members. One time Fazlur Rahman told Runa, "You cannot act like a saint and leave the departments money untouched." When Fazlur Rahman received a warning letter for misbehaviour and non-cooperation, he apologised to Runa but did stop his actions, particularly as he was provoked by Sarkar and Biswas. Runa told Roksana Mili, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, the issue following which departmental meetings were held. Fazlur Rahman was removed from the department "for violating departmental discipline and failing to cooperate with the department chair." He was trasferred to the Department of Political Science on 18 February 2026.
Habibur Rahman, another faculty member in Runa's department, fiercely opposed to the action against Rahman and demanded Runa to cancel the transfer. On 18 February 2026, Biswas was also removed from his responsibility on the university finances, and posted to dormitory facility, the Ummul Mu'minin Ayesha Siddiqa Hall. According to Sultan, Biswas, Sarkar, Habibur Rahman and Fazlur Rahman started to plot murder of Runa.
Incident On 4 March 2026, the Islamic University, Bangladesh was organising a Muslim meal time (iftar) the Department of Social Works. The hall was adjacent to Runa's office. Just before the programme started, at the around 3:30 to 4 p.m., Fazlur Rahman entered Runa's office and the two had fiery arguments. Fazlur Rahman suddenly attacked Runa. Although some reported that security personnel, teachers and students heard screams, student leaders who organised the meal time function gave a detail report that no one other than Fazlur Rahman and Runa was in and around the department.
The students went to Runa's office to discuss on the programme expenditure at 4:10 p.m. As they found the office door locked from the inside, they broke the door to find Runa lying on the floor in her blood. Fazlur Rahman was on the corner and as soon as he saw the students he tried to slit his throat. The two were rushed to Kushtia General Hospital. Hasan Imam, residential medical officer of the hospital, pronounced Runa's dead at 6 p.m. and the cause of death as stabbing at the throat.
At the hospital, Fazlur Rahman confessed that he killed Runa because of his transfer and unpaid salary. An autopsy was performed in the forenoon of 5 March and the report indicated 20 stab wounds on Runa's chest, abdomen, hands, and legs. Runa's funeral was held that afternoon and was interred at the central municipal graveyard in Kushtia.
Aftermath On 6 March 2026, the police arrested Fazlur Rahman while still at the intensive care unit of the hospital. Fazlur Rahman made a written statement before the police that his motive was a revenge for his transfer and discontinuation of his salary. The same day, Runa's husband, Sultan, submitted a formal police case against Biswas, Sarkar, and Habibur Rahman. The three were suspended by the Islamic University, Bangladesh from their respective positions on 7 March, under the Code of Criminal Procedure Section 154.
No criminal action was taken against Biswas, Sarkar, Habibur Rahman. On 6 March, teachers and students of the Department of Social Work held a protest at the university by forming a human chain. On 9 March, the four children of Runa, supported by relatives and friend made a rally demanding swift justice. On 3 April, a month of lack of action on the alleged perpetrator led to the university students holding a road-block protest in Kushtia. On 15 April, students organised a protest march.
In March 2026, the Islamic University instituted a five-member committee to investigate the case. The university's 274th syndicate meeting held on 29 June 2026 discussed the investigation found the report inadequate and created a high-power committee for further investigation consisting of four senior officers headed by pro-vice-chancellor M Yeaqub Ali. On 22 July 2026, Islamic University Registrar Monjurul Haque issued a petition letter to all the university departments for donating a one-day salary to support Runa's family. Even after six months, there was no crimincal charge sheet against any one, including Fazlur Rahman. On 25 September 2026, Fazlur Rahman declared that he withdrew his confession and that he was innocent of the crime.
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