Renowned writer and teacher of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) Dr Muhammed Zafar Iqbal was seriously injured in a knife attack on the campus on Saturday afternoon.

SUST Assistant Proctor Abu HenaPahil said a young man, aged around 24-25, swooped on Dr Zafar Iqbal, a teacher of SUST Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) department, around 5:40pm while he was delivering his speech on the closing day of a two-day celebration programme, ‘Robo fight,’ of the Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) department at Mukta Mancha, reports the UNB.

The attacker stabbed him in the back of his head, leaving him injured.

The noted writer was first taken to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College and kept at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where doctors said he was out of danger.

Later, he was airlifted to the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka for better treatment.

A constable, Ibrahim, was also injured while trying to catch the attacker.

However, SUST students caught the attacker from the Shikkha Bhaban-1 after the attack and gave him a mass beating before handing him over to police.

However, the identity of the attacker could not be ascertained yet as he lost his senses during the mass beating.

Along with police, members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) were deployed on the campus, said officer-in-charge of Jalalabad Police Station Shafiqul Islam Swapon.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police Muhammad Abdul Wahab said they were trying to know the reason behind the attack. ‘The mystery will be debunked once the attacker is interrogated,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, different individuals and organisations strongly condemned the attack.

The Prime Minister also asked the authorities concerned to bring the perpetrator to justice.

‘The Prime Minister is constantly enquiring about Muhammed Zafar Iqbal,’ PM’s press secretary IhsanulKarim said.

Strongly condemning the attack, BNP alleged that those who want to fish in troubled waters are behind it.

Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu,Pragatishil Shikkhak Forum, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front and Bigyan Andolan Mancha also condemned the attack.

Gonojagoron Mancha brought a torch procession in the capital protesting the attack on the renowned writer.

A faction of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and Samajtantrik Chhatra Front brought out procession on the SUST campus protesting the attack.