Dhaka: Two left-leaning student federations on Thursday threatened to enforce a half-day countrywide hartal on April 25 if the government fails to arrest the killers of Comilla Victoria College student Sohagi Jahan Tonu by April 24.

Progressive Students’ Alliance and Anti-Imperialist Students’ Union coordinator Ashraful Alam Sohel came up with the threat at a rally in front of Shikkha Bhaban in Dhaka after police inhibited their procession heading towards Home Ministry to lay siege to it.

The students also urged the political parties and transport workers and leader to make their hartal programme a success, if it is called, with extending their support.

‘We’re giving the government until April 24 to arrest those involved in Tonu murder and bring them to justice. If the government fails to do so, a half-day hartal from 6am to 12pm will be enforced on May 25,’ Ashraf told the rally.

Earlier as per their scheduled programme, leaders and activists of the two left-leaning student bodies and general students took out a procession from Madhu’s canteen of the Dhaka University at about 12 noon in a bid to besiege the Home Ministry to press for their demand of arresting the killers of Tonu.

As they reached Doyel Chattar after marching different roads on the DU campus, police intercepted them there.

Although they broke the first barricade, police again blocked them near the Sikhkha Bhaban, triggering a clash between the students and law enforcers, leaving 15 people injured.

The injured students received first aid from Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

On April 3, the two left-leaning student bodies announced to lay a siege to the Home Ministry on Thursday.

Sohagi Jahan Tonu, 19, a second year history student of Comilla Victoria College and a member of Victoria College Theatre, went missing on March 20, hours after she had gone out of her house at Comilla Mainamati Cantonment for private tuition.

Later, Tonu’s father Yaar Hossain found his daughter lying senseless with severe injuries in her body in a bush adjacent to their house.

She was then whisked off to Combined Military Hospital where doctors declared her dead.

The incident sparked off widespread protests across the country.