Comilla University (CoU) authorities have declared a university-wide day of general mourning for Sunday following the brutal murder of Ishayat Shahriar Apratim, the son of an associate professor at the university.

All classes and pre-scheduled examinations across all departments will remain suspended on Sunday, said an official press release signed by CoU Registrar Md. Mojibur Rahman Majumder on Saturday.

Expressing deep shock and condemnation over the barbaric incident, the university administration extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

The university also demanded a fair and speedy investigation to swiftly arrest and ensure exemplary punishment for those involved in the murder.

Revised schedules for the suspended examinations will be announced later by the respective departments, according to the press release.

The body of the 13-year-old son of a Comilla University teacher was recovered from a forest near the campus on Saturday.

The killing comes amid a series of murders, abductions and other violent crimes reported across the country in recent months.

Apratim was the only son of Nahida Begum, an associate professor in the university’s Bangla department.

Apratim went missing on Friday after leaving home with his mother’s iPhone to take photographs with friends.

Police recovered his body from a secluded forest in the Lalmai hills near the university. He had injuries to his head, while the phone was missing.

Police and university officials initially suspected he may have been killed for the phone, although investigators said no motive had yet been established.

Police detained a teenager for questioning after CCTV footage showed him moving around with Apratim before his disappearance.