The Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 on Wednesday sentenced 20 students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology to death for the 2019 murder of their fellow Abrar Fahad at a hall over his Facebook post on Bangladesh-India deals.
Judge Abu Zafar Md Kamaruzzaman also sentenced the rest five accused to imprisonment for life term.
All the 25 accused were students of the university and leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League and were expelled from the university and the ruling Awami League-backed student organisation amid protests against the murder.
In a packed courtroom, the judge, who was originally scheduled to deliver the verdict on November 28 and deferred the pronouncement to December 8, read out the verdict in the presence of 22 of the 25 accused in the dock.
The tribunal gave death sentences for Mehedi Hasan Russel, 24, Muntassir Alam Jemmy, 20, Khandaker Tabakkharul Islam Tanvir, 21, ASM Nazmus Sadat, 21, Md Mizanur Rahman Mizan, 22, Shamsul Arefin Rafat, 21, Md Shamim Billah, 21, Md Mazedur Rahman Mazed, 20, Hossain Mohammad Toha, 21, Md Moniruzzaman Monir, 21, Md Mehedi Hasan Robin also known Shanta, 23, Muzahidur Rahman, 21, Anik Sarker Apu, 22, Md Meftahul Islam Jeon, 22, Ifti Mosharraf Sakal, 20, SM Mahmud Setu, 24, Morshed Amatya Islam, 20, Morshed-Uz-zaman Jisan, 21, Ehteshamul Rabbi Tanim, 20, and Mostaba Rafid, 21.
The five accused who have got life term in jail are Muhtasim Fuad, 23, Md Akash Hossain, 21, Moaj Abu Hurayra, 20, Amit Saha, 21, and Istiak Ahammed Munna, 21. The tribunal also fined them Tk聽50,000 each.
Three of the accused 鈥� Jisan, Rafid and Tanim 鈥�, who were sentenced to death, were tried in their absence as they are still in hiding.
As the tribunal read out the verdict, the former BUET students were seen frustrated.
The tribunal referred to a number of cases both in India and Bangladesh and said that the killing shocked the nation, and the tribunal wanted to award the highest punishment to stop repetition of such 鈥榞ruesome killing鈥�.
The tribunal detailed how the incident took place, investigation was done, and trial started and finally how the Covid pandemic delayed the trial.
The tribunal stated that Abrar was quizzed on his suspected involvement with Islami Chhara Shibir but it was completely wrong.
Emerging from the courtroom, Abrar鈥檚 father and complainant Barkat Ullah said that his family were partially satisfied and would be completely satisfied once the sentences would be executed.聽
He called all to avoid any such killing in educational institutions in future and said that this verdict would be a 鈥榤ilestone鈥� for them.聽
Prosecutors Musharraf Hossain Kajol and Abu Abdullah Bhuiyan said that they were satisfied with the verdict. Musharraf, however, said that the educational institution, especially the teachers assigned at the BUET hall cannon avoid the responsibility for the killing that had taken place for several hours.聽
He said that several hours before his killing, Abrar returned from his home and was taking rest at his room at hall.
Abrar was taken by his fellows, quizzed for hours and was tortured to death, and whole things happened in the restricted area at the hall.
BUET vice-chancellor Satya Prasad Majumder said that they would like quick execution of the verdict in accordance with the law.
The students of the university later in the day in a joint statement expressed their satisfaction and hoped no recurrence of such incident.
鈥榃e think this verdict is a reflection of everyone鈥檚 thrust. We demand speedy execution of this judgment,鈥� the statement said.
The students also called for immediate arrest of fugitive convicts.
A number of defence counsels expressed their dissatisfaction and said they must move the High Court against the verdict.
Defence lawyer Monjur Alam Monju said that his client Amit Saha, who got life term, was not even present at the hall where Abrar was killed.
Amit Saha was one of the four students at room 2011 of the hall where Abrar was beaten with cricket stamps and skipping rope.
Kulsuma Khatun Shelly, a widow who brought up her children after her husband died in 2009, was seen sobbing on the court premises after her son Istiak got life term.
She claimed that her son was at a wedding ceremony in Habiganj until 11:30pm on October 6 when Abrar was killed.
On October 7, 2019, Abrar was beaten to death by leaders and activists of the then-BUET unit of the Chhatra League reportedly over his posts on Facebook criticising the government鈥檚 deals with India. The killing triggered protests in home and abroad. His father filed the case against 19 students.聽
The police investigation found he was outspoken that made many angry with him, and he had no political affiliation.
On November 13, 2019, the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge鈥檚 Court took cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the Detective Branch against the 25.
The case was, later, transferred to the Speedy Trial Tribunal following a plea of the complainant.
On September 15, 2020, the tribunal charged the 25 accused with murder and abatement to the murder.
Of the 25 accused, 11 accused took part in the murder directly and the others assisted the killing, the prosecutors had argued and sought the highest punishment for them.
Eight of the arrested accused reportedly confessed to the murder.
The tribunal reframed the charges against the 25 on September 8, 2021, almost a year after the framing of the original charges, citing some flaws in the original charges.
The tribunal examined 46 of the 60 prosecution witnesses, and six defence witnesses.
On November 14, 2021, the tribunal set November 28 for pronouncing the verdict after the prosecution and defence lawyers had concluded their final arguments in the case.
But the tribunal chair on November 28 deferred the verdict delivery to December 8 stating that the tribunal needed more time to prepare the judgement.