Abrar murder case: HC receives death reference of 20 convicts

The death reference of 20 death row convicts in the sensational Buet student Abrar Fahad murder case reached the High Court on Thursday. 

District Judge Saifur Rahman, spokesperson of the Supreme Court, told The Business Standard that they will send the dockets to a bench for hearing after completion of due process.

According to sources concerned, a paper book, containing the case details, has to be made ready in preparation for the death reference hearing. After the paper book is prepared, hearing on death references, defendants' appeals and jail appeals is held simultaneously.

On 7 October 2019, Abrar, a second-year student of the electrical and electronics engineering (EEE) department of Buet, was beaten to death by the convicts, who were activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), at the university's Sher-e-Bangla Hall.

On 8 December 2021, Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 sentenced 20 Buet students to death and 5 others to life imprisonment for killing fellow student Abrar Fahad for a social media post criticising the Bangladesh-India deal on sharing the water of the River Feni.

The death row convicts are Mehedi Hassan Rasel, Anik Sarker, Mehedi Hassan Robin, Ifty Mosharaf Sakal, Moniruzzaman Monir, Meftahul Islam Jiyon, Majedur Rahman, Muzahidur Rahman, Tabakhairul Islam Tanvir, Hossen Mohammad Toha, Shamim Billah, Nazmus Shadat, Muntasir Al Jemi, Mizanur Rahman, Mahmud Setu, Shamsul Arifin Rafat, Morshed Omorto Islam, Ehtesamul Rabbi, Morshed Uzzaman Jishan and Mujtaba Rafeed.  Among them, Jishan, Rafeed and Rabbi are absconding.

Those who have been sentenced to life-term imprisonment are Muhtasim Fuyad, Akash Hossain, Mowaz Abu Horaira, Omit Shaha and Istiaq Hassan Munna.

After the brutal killing of Abrar Fahad, his father Barkatullah filed a murder case with Chawkbazar Police Station. The case was later transferred to the speedy trial tribunal, allowing a plea of Abrar's father.