The now suspended principle of Sonagazi Islamia Fazil Degree Madrasa Siraj-ud-Daula ordered the Apr 6 arson attack that killed madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi, say police.

A total of 13 people, including, Siraj were involved in the murder, Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Bonoj Kumar Majumder told a media call on Saturday (Apr 13).

He said that four people set her on fire amongst whom was one Shahadat Hossain Shamim and another girl whose identity hasn’t been revealed.

“A few people met with principle Siraj-ud-Daula at the prison on Apr 4” said DIG Majumder.

He added that among them were Shahadat Hossain Shamim, Javed Hossain, Hafez Abdul Quader and a few others.

 “Shamim is the one who proposed killing Nusrat and Siraj ordered it,” he said.

Saying that there were two motives behind the murder Majumder added, “They saw Nusrat’s refusal to withdraw sexual assault charges against principal Siraj as an insult to the scholar society.

“Another reason is that Nusrat had been repeatedly turning down Shamim’s proposal for a relationship.”

Majumder said that the killers were already hiding inside the madrasa on Apr 6, the day of the murder.

“They were hiding inside a toilet. Amongst the four, one of the girls arranged for a burqa and kerosene for the other three.

“A girl named Chompa went to the exam hall and told Nusrat that her friend Nishat was being beaten up after which she rushed to the roof.”

He added that they tied Nusrat up, poured kerosene on her and set her on fire and then escaped through the front gate of the madrasa where five others including Nur Uddin was standing guard.

Thirteen people have been accused in the murder of 18-year-old Nusrat who died on Apr 10 after battling over 80 percent burn injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

Police arrested have already arrested madrasa students Nur Uddin, 20 and Shahadat Hossain Shamim, 20, Municipality Councilor Maksud Alam, 45, Jobayer Ahmed, 20, Javed Hossain, 19 and Afsar Uddin.

Siraj-ud-Daula, 55 was already in police custody after Nusrat’s parents lodged a sexual assault case against him.

The police are still on the lookout for the rest of the five who are on the run.

Meanwhile, six others: Kefayet Ullah Johny, Saidul Islam, Ariful Islam, Umme Sultana Poppy, Nur Hossain and Alauddin are in custody as suspects.