Killers of Buet student Abrar Fahad, left, were escorted back to the Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj after the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 of Dhaka on Wednesday sentenced 20 of them to death and five others to life-term imprisonment in the murder case — Focus Bangla A Dhaka Court on Wednesday sentenced twenty accused to death and five others to life-term imprisonment for the murder of Abrar Fahad, a student of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).
Judge of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 of Dhaka, Abu Zafar Md Kamruzzaman, delivered the verdict in a jam-packed courtroom after concluding the trail proceedings.
All the accused are students of BUET and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL).
Among the accused, 22 were present in the courtroom during deliberation of the verdict while remaining three have remained absconding since the incident.
The twenty condemned convicts are-Mehedi Hasan Rasel (civil engineering batch-13),
Anik Sarker (mechanical engineering batch-15), Mehedi Hasan Robin (chemical engineering batch-15), Ifti Mosharraf Hossain Sakal (biomedical engineering batch-16), Moniruzzaman Monir (water resources engineering batch-16), Meftahul Islam Zion (naval architecture and marine engineering batch-15), Muntasir Alam Jemi (mechanical engineering batch-17), Mazedur Rahman (materials and metallurgical engineering batch-17), Muzahidur Rahman Muzahid (electronic and electrical engineering batch-16) and Tabakhkharul Islam Tanvir (mechanical engineering batch-16).
The list also included the names of Hossain Mohammad Toha (mechanical engineering batch-17), Morsheduzzaman Mondal Jisan (electronic and electrical engineering batch-16), Md Shamim Billah (naval architecture and marine engineering batch-17), Nazmus Sadat (mechanical engineering batch-17), Ajtesamul Rabbi Tanim (civil engineering batch-17), Morshed Amartya Islam (mechanical engineering batch-17), Muztaba Rafid (chemical engineering batch-16), Samsul Arefin Rafat (mechanical engineering batch-17), Mizanur Rahman (water resources engineering batch-16) and Mahadul Setu (chemical engineering batch-14).
Those who got life in jail are-Muhtasim Fuad (civil engineering batch-14), Md Akash Hossain (civil engineering batch-16), Moaz Abu Huraira (computer science and engineering batch-17), Amit Saha (civil engineering batch-16) and Istiaq Hasan Munna (mechanical engineering batch-15).
Three death-row convicts Ajtesamul Rabbi Tanim (civil engineering batch-17), Morsheduzzaman Mondal Jisan (Electronic and Electrical Engineering batch-16) and Muztaba Rafid (chemical engineering batch-16) are on the run.
Abrar's father Barkat Ullah, who is plaintiff of the case, in an instant reaction said he is satisfied with the judgment. Now this is his expectation that the verdict will be implemented soon.
Lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kazal who represented the state in the hearing said, "This verdict has set an example. We think we have been able to prove the allegations in the court. Everyone should be vigilant so that no student is tortured to death like Abrar."
Lawyer Faruq Ahmed who appeared in the hearing for the accused said, "The alleged masterminds of the incident were not brought to justice. We are not satisfied with this verdict. We will appeal against the verdict."
Abrar Fahad, a second-year student of the university's electrical and electronic engineering department, was beaten to death allegedly by some BCL leaders between 10.00 pm on October 6 and 2:00 am on October 7 in 2019.
Later, Abrar's father Barkat Ullah filed a murder case against 19 BCL leaders of BUET unit with the Chawkbazar Police Station.
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 in 2019 banned all political activities on the campus and suspended 19 students, mostly leaders of the university's BCL unit who were made accused in Abrar Fahad murder case.
On November 13, 2019, investigation officer of the case, inspector Md Wahiduzzaman, placed the charge sheet in the general register office of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court of Dhaka accusing 25 students of BUET.
Of them, 21 were earlier arrested and one surrendered in the court later. During the investigation, eight of the accused gave confessional statements to magistrates on different dates.
The court on September 25, 2020 opened the trial of all 25 accused after framing charges against them in connection with the murder of Abrar Fahad.
Twenty-two accused, who had been in jail, pleaded not guilty and demanded justice after the judge read out charges to them.
After completing the arguments of the parties, the court on November 14 this year fixed November 28 for delivering the judgment. But on that day the court deferred the verdict to December 8.
Twenty-two accused were produced in the court before delivering the verdict.
The court announced death penalty for 20 accused and life term imprisonment for five others.
The court also fined each of the life-term accused Tk50,000, in default of which they will have to serve one year more jail sentence.
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