Students defer protest for two days

Students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) postponed their protest on Saturday for two days - Sunday and Monday - for smooth holding of the university's admission test, scheduled for tomorrow (Monday).

A spokesperson on behalf of the BUET students announced it in a briefing in front of Shaheed Minar on the campus.

He also said they will provide assistance to all aspiring students and their guardians who will visit the campus for the admission test.

As the university authority has already taken noticeable steps regarding fulfilment of their demands, placed after the killing of Abrar Fahad, the agitating students decided to postpone their protest, the spokesperson added.

He, however, said they are not calling off the protest.

"We'll announce our next programme after two days," he added.

Earlier, on Friday, BUET Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof. Dr. Saiful Islam accepted the demands of the students, banning activities of all political organisations on the campus and suspending 19 students temporary in connection with the Abrar killing.

After the declaration, the agitating students were still protesting for issuing written notice in this regard. They also staged demonstration for the sixth consecutive day on Saturday.

Subsequently, the university authority displayed five written notices on the campus on Saturday, which were signed by Registrar Prof. Dr. Md. Saidur Rahman, accepting some of the demands with immediate effect.

The students' demands include ensuring the highest punishment for the killers, permanent expulsion of the identified killers from the BUET within October 11, providing expenditure for conducting the case to the victim's family by the BUET administration, fast conducting of the case under Speedy Trial Tribunal, publishing copy of the charge-sheet officially as soon as possible, and banning student politics on the campus within October 15.

Besides, they also demanded explanation from the VC within 2.00 pm on Wednesday about why he refrained from being present on the campus after 30 hours of the killing and why after coming he left the place without giving proper answers, ending physical and mental tortures on students under the name of ragging, establishing a platform where students can place complaints regarding such tortures so that the authority can take steps immediately, and resignation of the Sher-e-Bangla Hall provost.

Meanwhile, Nurul Huq Nur, Vice President (VP) of Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU), announced five-point demands at a press briefing at Modhur Canteen on DU campus on Saturday.

His demands included awarding capital punishment to the murderers of Abrar, and cancelling all the agreements with India that are against Bangladesh's interest.

He also announced that a protest rally will be held today (Sunday) at 4.00 pm in front of Bangladesh National Museum at Shahbag.

Abrar Fahad, a second-year student of BUET's Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) Department, was beaten to death by some Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leaders at the university's Sher-e-Bangla Hall sometime between 8:30 pm on Sunday and 2:30 am on Monday.

UNB adds: The BUET authority sealed off three rooms on Saturday, including that of BCL university unit president and general secretary, at two halls for illegally occupying those.

BUET unit BCL chief Jami-us-Sani's Room-321 at Ahsanullah Hall and general secretary Mehedi Hasan Rasel's Room-3012 at Sher-e-Bangla Hall were sealed off, as their studentship expired, said BUET's Students' Welfare Director Prof. Mizanur Rahman.

He also said they sealed off Room-121 of Ahsanullah Hall, which was being used as the office of BCL hall unit.

"We've taken the step to reclaim the occupied rooms. All hall provosts will conduct drives to recover the occupied rooms, and allot those among legal students," he added.

Besides, illegal occupants at all the residential halls of the university have been asked to leave their rooms immediately.

The BUET authority issued a notice in the morning, where the students, who are staying at the halls for over six months even on completion of their academic sessions, were asked to vacate their rooms.

In another development, detectives arrested another FIR-listed accused in Abrar Fahad murder case from Uttara Sector-14 in the capital at around 11.00 am on Saturday.

The arrestee is Moaz Abu Hurayra, 20, son of Mashrur-uz-Zaman of Pirpur village under Kuliarchar upazila in Kishoreganj and a student of 17th batch of EEE Department of BUET.

Meanwhile, after the murder of Abrar Fahad, his younger brother Abrar Fayaz is now afraid of going back to college in Dhaka for studies. Fayaz is a first-year student at Dhaka College.

His parents said they are suffering from a deep sense of insecurity after Fahad was killed last week.

Their mother Rokeya Begum said the family is living in utmost insecurity.

"I've already lost one son, and I don't want to lose another," she added.

A report of bdnews24.com adds: Anik Sarkar, a student of mechanical engineering of BUET and remanded in custody for his alleged involvement in Abrar murder, has given a confessional statement to court.

Anik, also the information and research secretary of BCL's BUET unit, is among the 10 people arrested in the immediate aftermath of the murder on Oct 6. He was subsequently placed on a five-day remand and expelled by BCL.

Detective Branch (DB) police produced Anik in court on Saturday, and sought permission to record his confessional statement.

Metropolitan Magistrate Atiqul Islam then recorded his statement under Section 164 of Code of Criminal Procedure. He was subsequently sent to jail by the magistrate.

Anik is the third suspect to make such a statement after fellow BCL leaders Ifti Mosharrf Sakal and Meftahul Islam Zion.

Meanwhile, police were also given five days to grill another suspect in the case - Majedur Rahman Nowroze, who was arrested in Sylhet on Friday.

Abrar's father Barkatullah filed a case at Chawkbazar Police Station on Monday evening (Oct 7), accusing 19 people.

Law-enforcers have so far arrested 19 people in connection with the murder, 15 of whom are named as suspects in the case.

Police arrested the four others on the basis of evidence, tying them to the incident.

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