Abrar murder case: 20 get death, 5 others life term

The Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 sentenced twenty people to death and five others to life term imprisonment in a case filed over the killing of Abrar Fahad at a residential hall of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in 2019 over his Facebook post.

Tribunal’s Judge Abu Zafar Md Kamaruzzaman handed down the verdict Wednesday (December 8) noon.

Earlier, 22 accused in the case were produced before the court around 9:15 am from Keraniganj central jail.

On November 14, the tribunal set November 28 for pronouncing the verdict after the prosecution and defence lawyers had concluded their final arguments in the case in the presence of 22 accused out of 25 in the dock. But the court deferred the delivery of the verdict in the case to December 8 as it was not ready for the delivery on that day.

All the accused in the case are leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the ruling Awami League-backed student organisation.

On October 7, 2019, Abrar was beaten to death by leaders and activists of the then-BUET unit of the BCL reportedly over his posts on Facebook criticising the government’s deals with India. The killing sparked nationwide protests.

On November 13, 2019, the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court took cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the Detective Branch against 25 BCL leaders and activists.

The case was, later, transferred to the speedy trial tribunal following a plea of the complainant.