Mohammad Sohel, 30, who was rescued by the hall authorities and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in critical condition at about 11:30am, died after about two hours.

Sohel had entered the Shaheed Rafique Bhaban of the hall saying that he had come to visit his brother Shipon at room 304 of the dormitory, from where, the hall staff said, 21 cellphones were stolen over the last month.

As Sohel was moving about suspiciously failing to enter the locked room, hall security stopped and grilled him about the purpose of his visit. But he failed to reply satisfactorily and students who had already gathered at the spot started beating him mercilessly.

"We were really very angry over the repeated incidents of thefts in the dormitory," said a student who lost his cell phone set a few days back.

Hall Provost Dr Mohammad Akther Hossain Khan said he rushed to the spot as soon as he learnt about the incident and rescued the man.

"I called in an ambulance of the university medical centre and sent the youth to the DMCH," he said.

Some students said Sohel had confessed to stealing a cell phone set and a purse from the hall about a month and a half ago, adding that he had also confessed that he came from Jatrabari to steal from the dormitory.

Police said Sohel, son of Amjad Hossain of village Brahmanbadsha of Srinagar thana in Munshiganj, was a drug addict.

A case has been lodged, Ramna police said.

Resident DU students have reported that incidents of theft in their dormitories are on the rise.