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The South Asian Times | সাউথ এশিয়ান টাইমস

20 Buet students get death penalty for Abrar murder

Published: 00:00, 8 December 2021

20 Buet students get death penalty for Abrar murder

SAT DESK : A Dhaka tribunal has handed down death penalty to 20 students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) and life imprisonment to five others for the brutal murder of Abrar Fahad.

Judge Abu Zafar Md Kamaruzzaman of the Dhaka’s First Speedy Trial Tribunal delivered the verdict in the sensational case on Wednesday.

The students who got capital punishment are Mehedi Hasan Russel, Anik Sarker, Ifti Mosharraf Sakal, Md Mehedi Hasan Robin, Md Meftahul Islam Jeon, Muntassir Alam Jemmy, Khandaker Tabakkharul Islam Tanvir, Md Muzahidur Rahman, Md Moniruzzaman Monir, Hossain Mohammad Toha, Md Mazedul Islam, Shamim Billah, ASM Nazmus Sadat, Md Mizanur Rahman alias Mizan, Shamsul Arefin Rafat, SM Mahmud Setu, Morsheduzzaman Jisan, Ehteshamul Rabbi Tanim, Morshed Amatya Islam and Mostaba Rafid.

Meanwhile, the court awarded life-term jail to Muhtasim Fuad, Moaj Abu Hurayra, Md Akash Hossain, Amit Saha and Istiak Ahammed Munna, and fined them Tk50,000 each. Inability to pay the fine would result in an additional year in jail.

Expressing his satisfaction at the verdict, Abrar’s father Md Barkat Ullah said he hoped that the High Court would uphold the judegment and the authorities would execute it soon. “Abrar`s soul will be at peace if the verdict is enforced quickly.”

A second-year student of the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department, Abrar was tortured to death at Sher-e-Bangla Hall by the members of Bangladesh Chhatra League for his Facebook posts criticizing the government in 2019.

He was found dead on the staircase of the dorm in the early hours of October 7, hours after he was taken to room No 2011 around 8pm.

Earlier, Judge Kamaruzzaman of the tribunal was expected to deliver his verdict on November 28 but deferred it to Wednesday as the verdict had yet to be prepared then.

On November 14, the tribunal had scheduled the verdict after concluding arguments by the prosecution and the defence.

During the closing arguments, the prosecution sought capital punishment for all the accused.

On October 7, 2019, Abrar’s father Barkat Ullah filed the murder case with Chawkbazar police station.

On November 13, 2019, Inspector Wahiduzzaman of the Detective Branch, the investigating officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet against the accused.

On September 15, 2020, the court framed charges against the 25 accused.

The court recorded statements of 47 out of the 60 witnesses in the case.

On March 14 this year, the 22 accused arrested in the case pleaded not guilty on account of self-defence.

Of them, Jisan, Rafid and Tanim have yet to be arrested and were tried in absentia.

According to the police, of the 25 accused, 11 took part in the gruesome murder directly and the others played a role in the crime one way or another. Of those arrested, eight have given confessional statements in the case.

The incident triggered a firestorm of protests on campuses across the country. Many took to social media to demand justice for Abrar.

Amid protests on the campus, Buet authorities on October 11 the same year banned all political activities on the campus and suspended 19 students of the university who were accused in the case.

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