Abrar murder: HC upholds gallows for 20 Buet students

The High Court yesterday upheld a trial court verdict sentencing 20 Buet students to death and five others to life in prison for killing Abrar Fahad in 2019.

Abrar, a student of electrical and electronics engineering at Buet, was beaten to death by the leaders and activists of the now banned Chhatra League at a dormitory of the university in October 2019 in an incident that shook the nation to its core.

A Dhaka court on December 8, 2021, delivered verdict in the case.

Yesterday, the HC bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain accepted the death reference (trial court documents for confirmation of death sentences) and dismissed the appeals filed by the convicts.

Citing the documents, the HC said the accused in connivance with each other killed Abrar, and nobody stepped forward to save him.

The detailed observations on which the HC came up with the verdict will be known when its full text is released, Deputy Attorney General Jashim Sarker told The Daily Star.

After the HC delivered the verdict, Abrar's father Barkat Ullah told reporters on the Supreme Court premises that he hoped the verdict would be implemented without any delay.

"Parents send their children to educational institutions and work hard so that the children have education. However, when children go astray, giving in to temptation, parents are deeply hurt. I urge the students not to engage in bad politics," he said.

Abrar's younger brother Abrar Faiyaz said, "We did not think even a year ago that the High Court verdict would be delivered so soon. It may have been possible because of the changeover on August 5 last year. However, there is still a lot to be done."

If the verdicts are implemented fast, it will act as a deterrent, he said, adding, "No one else should have the same fate as Abrar Fahad."

The murder triggered widespread protests on campuses across the country, compelling the Buet administration to ban political activities on the campus in October.

On the night of October 6, 2019, the convicts tortured Abrar with skipping ropes and cricket stumps. Just a few hours earlier, he came back to the dormitory from his home in Kushtia and was in his room at Sher-e-Bangla Hall.

Around 8:00pm, some Chhatra League leaders and activists of the dormitory asked him to go to room number 2011 on the first floor.

At room 2011, Abrar saw some BCL leaders waiting for him. One of them took Abrar's phone and started checking his Facebook page and Messenger app. The BCL men asked him whether he had links with Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat.

The men started hitting him after finding Abrar's Facebook post which was critical of a government deal with India. Two of them had cricket stumps.

At one point, one of the stumps broke in half. A third man then picked up the broken piece and started hitting him with it while another whipped Abrar with a skipping rope.

Abrar begged for water, but they didn't give him a single drop. When he fell to the floor, the BCL men forced him back on his feet and started hitting him again. Abrar then started throwing up and became motionless soon afterwards.

The attackers then called Abrar's classmates and along with them took him to the staircase landing between the first and ground floors around 2:30am. The BCL men then went out to have dinner. After it became clear that Abrar had died, they took the body downstairs.

Abrar's father Barkat filed a murder case with Chawkbazar Police Station the next day.

After yesterday's verdict, Attorney General Asaduzzaman, expressing satisfaction, said the concept for bringing discipline to the state and society and ensuring justice was established.

Azizur Rahman Dulu, lawyer for convicts Morshed Amartya Islam and Meftahul Islam Zion, told The Daily Star that his clients were deprived of justice because they were not involved in the torture or murder.

"We will move appeals on behalf of my clients before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the High Court verdict once we receive the full text. After the appeals are filed, the execution of the death sentence will be suspended," he said.

If the verdict on the appeal goes against his clients, they will file review petitions before the Appellate Division, the lawyer said.

If the review petitions are dismissed, those sentenced to death can seek the president's mercy.

THE CONVICTS

Those sentenced to death are Mehedi Hasan Russel, former general secretary of Buet Chhatra League; Mehedi Hasan Robin, ex-organising secretary; Anik Sarkar Apu, ex-information and research secretary; Moniruzzaman Monir, ex-literature secretary; Meftahul Islam Zion, ex-sports secretary; Ifti Mosharraf Shokal, ex-deputy social welfare secretary; Mustaba Rafid, ex-deputy office secretary; former members Mujahidur Rahman Mujahid, Muntasir Al Jemy and Ehtashamul Rabbi Tanim; activists Khandaker Tabakkarul Islam Tanvir, ASM Nazmus Sadat, Majedur Rahman alias Majed, Hossain Mohammad Toha, Shamim Billah, Mizanur Rahman Mizan, SM Mahmud Setu, Shamsul Arefin Rafat, Muhammad Morshed-Uz-Zaman Mondol and Morshed Amartya Islam.

Buet BCL's former vice-president Muhtasim Fuad, former library and publication secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed Munna, former deputy legal affairs secretary Amit Saha and activists Akash Hossain and Moaz Abu Hurayra were sentenced to life in prison.

Among the convicts, Mustaba, Jishan and Tanim have been absconding while Muntasir Al Jemy, sentenced to death, escaped from Kashimpur Central Jail on August 6, a day after the fall of the Awami League regime. Abrar's family did not know that he had escaped until February 24 this year.

Abrar's brother Faiyaz said he did not know why the information was disclosed after six months.

According to the charge sheet, the accused held meetings for two consecutive days and had the intention to beat Abrar to death.

On January 6, 2022, the documents of the case reached the HC as death references to examine the lower court's verdict. The HC bench led by Justice AKM Asaduzzaman began the hearing on the death references and appeals on November 28 last year.

At the appeal hearings, the prosecutors were Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman, deputy attorneys general Jasim Sarker, Khandaker Bahar Rumi, Nur Muhammad Azmi and Rasel Ahmed, and assistant attorneys general Abdul Jabbar Jewel, Laboni Akhter, Tanvir Prodhan and Sumaiya Binte Aziz.

On the other hand, lawyers SM Shahjahan, Azizur Rahman Dulu, Masud Hasan Chowdhury and Mohammad Shishir Manir represented the convicts.