Staff Correspondent:

The High Court (HC) on Sunday upheld the trial court’s verdict, confirming the death penalty for 20 students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) and life imprisonment for five others in the sensational Abrar Fahad murder case.

A High Court bench comprising Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain delivered the verdict in a jam-packed courtroom.

Earlier, on Saturday, the HC had scheduled Sunday for pronouncing its verdict on the death references and appeals filed by the convicts. The hearing on these matters concluded on February 24, after which the case was kept under review.

Abrar Fahad, a second-year student of Buet’s Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) department, was beaten to death on October 6, 2019, allegedly by activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) at Sher-e-Bangla Hall.

The attack was reportedly triggered by a Facebook post Abrar had made about water-sharing issues between Bangladesh and India. His body was later found on the dormitory’s staircase.

The following day, Abrar’s father filed a murder case against 19 BCL members at Chawkbazar Police Station. The incident sparked nationwide outrage, leading to widespread protests.

On December 8, 2021, a Dhaka court sentenced 20 Buet students to death and handed life imprisonment to five others for their involvement in the murder.

CONVICTS AND SENTENCES

The 20 students sentenced to death 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, Mujtaba Rafeed,

The five students who received life imprisonment are: Muhtasim Fuyad, Akash Hossain, Mowaz Abu Horaira, Omit Shaha and Ishtiaq Hassan Munna.

Of the total 25 accused in the case, five are on the run.

The HC began hearing the death reference and appeals on November 28 last year before reaching its final decision on Sunday.