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ABC News
ABC News
National
Melissa Mackay, Roxanne Fitzgerald and Daniel Litjens

Man charged with murder over death of Bangladeshi student fronts court in Darwin

Police have charged Brendan Kantilla with murder, aggravated burglary and theft following the alleged home invasion. (ABC News: Hamish Harty)

Brendan Kantilla, the man charged with murder over the death of a 23-year-old exchange student in Darwin last week, has faced the Darwin Local Court for the first time.

Md Isfaqur Rahman died on Thursday last week, a day after he sustained critical head injuries during an alleged violent home invasion in the Darwin suburb of Millner.

Police allege Mr Kantilla, 29, broke into the victim's home on Trower Road about 4.30am on Wednesday and assaulted him, before fleeing the scene.

Addressing Mr Kantilla in court, Chief Judge Elizabeth Morris said the matter would proceed to the Supreme Court.

Erin Morton, Mr Kantilla's lawyer, made no application for bail.

Judge Morris ordered Mr Kantilla be remanded in custody.

The case will return to court in July.

Islamic community gathers to mourn

Mr Rahman, who was known as Sifat by friends and family, was an exchange student from Bangladesh who was studying at Charles Darwin University (CDU).

He had arrived in Australia earlier this year.

Md Isfaqur Rahman was allegedly attacked while sleeping in his bed. (Supplied: Bangladeshi Student Association)

candlelit vigil was held in Mr Rahman's memory on Friday.

On Monday dozens of people gathered at the Darwin Mosque for Janazah Salaah, a traditional Islamic funeral prayer.

The Bangladeshi student had been welcomed by the city's Islamic community in the several months he had lived in Darwin, and community members said they had been shocked to hear of his death.

"We're quite shaken about it. It's quite a brutal death if you think about it, " said Quazi Ajwad Ihsas.

"We're supposed to be guarded about how we live and how we move about in the community, but you can't live like this honestly."

Other community members present, including Muhammad Salman Wahid, called for action to be taken to prevent crime.

"We just want to be safe. We just want to go to sleep and wake up next morning," he said.

"I think 90 per cent of the community haven't slept for the last three or four days. I can assure you that."

The incident has shaken Darwin's tight-knit Islamic community. (ABC News: Dane Hirst)

NT government pledges support to counter violent crime

The funeral prayer was also attended by Chief Minister Natasha Fyles and Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro, as well as multiple other members of NT parliament.

Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison said crime prevention measures would be included in the upcoming NT budget, due to be released tomorrow. 

"This is such a proud multicultural place, and to see this type of event happen, it just breaks your heart," she said.

"We absolutely must do everything we can to make sure an event like this doesn't happen again."

Dozens of people attended the service.   (ABC News: Dane Hirst)

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said strengthening community safety should be the "number one feature" of tomorrow's budget.

"It has to restore confidence in our community that they are safe, and it has to deliver the resources needed to make sure that our public transport system [and] that our streets are safe for people to live their lives freely," she said.

University providing temporary housing for housemates

While the Islamic community mourned Mr Rahman in prayer, CDU confirmed on Monday that his housemates have been provided with temporary accommodation on the university's Casuarina campus and were receiving extra support.

"We've given them a lot of support and counselling because they are very, very traumatised. So, we're looking after them the best we can," CDU Vice-Chancellor Scott Bowman said.

While many students from CDU's international community have voiced safety concerns after the incident, Professor Bowman said the university would continue to encourage international students to enrol.

"We still think that, statistically, the Northern Territory and Darwin is safer than just about anywhere else in the world to study," he said.

"But really just one incident like this is unacceptable."

Around $20,000 has been raised from a donation drive started after Mr Rahman's death, with Professor Bowman telling ABC Radio Darwin the money would be used "for something to remember Sifat by."

"What we will do with that [money], we will talk to Sifat's family [and] talk to the Bangladeshi Student Association," he said.

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