Lawyers of the Cumilla District Bar Association have decided not to represent the accused in the murder case involving 13-year-old Ishayat Shahriar Oprotim, son of a Comilla University (CoU) teacher.

Cumilla District Bar Association President Advocate Shahidullah confirmed the decision on Tuesday at a meeting room of the CoU administrative building.

“We did not take this decision through any formal resolution. It was a spontaneous decision. We took it on humanitarian grounds. Oprotim is our son. A father can never stand against his child,” he said.

Oprotim was the only child of Dr Nahida Begum, an associate professor of CoU’s Bangla Department. His body was recovered from a hillock behind Magic Paradise Park on Saturday, around 22 hours after he went missing.

Police have arrested four people in connection with the murder.

The killing has sparked grief and outrage across the country.