Abrar murder: 20 get death penalty

A court has sentenced twenty people to death and five others to life term imprisonment in a case filed over the murder of BUET student Abrar Fahad.  

Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 Abu Jafar Md Kazmruzzaman passed the order on Wednesday. 

The death-row convicts are Mehedi Hasan Rasel, Anik Sarker alias Apu, Mehedi Hasan Robin alias Shanta, Ifti Mosharaf Sokal, Meftahul Islam Jiyon, Muntasir Al Jemy, Khandaker Tabakkharul Islam Tanveer, Muzahidur Rahman, Moniruzzaman Monir, Hossen Mohammad Toha, Mazedur Rahman Mazed, Shamim Billah, A S M Nazmus Sadat, Mizanur Rahman, Shamsul Arefin Rafat, Morhsed Amortya Islam, S M Mahmud Setu, Muhammad Morhsed-Uz-Zaman Mondol alias Jisan, Ehteshamul Rabbi alias Tanim and Mujtoba Rafid. Of them, Jisan, Tanim and Rafid are on the run.

The people who got life-term imprisonment are Muhtamim Fuad, Muaz alias Abu Hurayra, Ishtiaque Ahmmed Munna, Amit Saha and Akash Hossen. 

They all are the suspended leaders and activists of BUET unit of Chhatra League. 

Earlier on November 28, the court deferred till December 8 the delivery of the verdict of the murder case. 

On November 13, 2019, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court took into cognizance the charge sheet in the case filed by Detective Branch (DB) of police against 25 accused. The case was later transferred to the speedy trial tribunal, allowing a plea of Abrar’s father.

The tribunal on September 15, 2020, had framed charges against all 25 accused in the case.

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

BUET students and the varsity authorities found the seemingly lifeless body of Abrar, 22, on first-floor stairs of Sher-e-Bangla Hall and rushed him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where doctors declared him dead around 6.30 am on October 7, 2019.

He was allegedly beaten to death by a couple of leaders of the then BUET unit of Chhatra League over his posts on Facebook.

Abrar’s father filed the case with Chawkbazar Police Station against 19. 

Later police included names of the other accused after finding their involvement during the probe.