Outrage over Abrar murder on
Protests continued into the third consecutive day on Wednesday demanding justice for the murder of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology student Abrar Fahad Rabbi.
Abrar Fahad died after a long interrogation and torture by a group of Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders of their dormitory on Monday over his critical views on social media over India-Bangladesh relationship.
BUET alumni joined the protest alongside the students and teachers and rallied in demand of congenial learning environment.
As the protests blazed on, the university authorities were still undecided about whether they would hold the upcoming admission test scheduled on Friday for 2019–2020 session.
The 21-year-old Abrar Fahad Rabbi, a second-year student of department of electrical and electronic engineering at BUET, was beaten to death by Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders at the university’s Sher-e-Bangla Hall on early Monday.
The aggrieved students of BUET on Wednesday continued protest demanding capital punishment of the killers, rustication of all students involved in the murder and a complete ban on organisation-based politics on the campus within October 15.
They also demanded holding the trial at a Speedy Trial Tribunal, stopping ‘rag culture’ in the campus, and bearing the trial-related cost of the case by the BUET.
They placed a fresh 10-point demand on Wednesday following a silent procession on the campus.
The students also declared suspension of all academic activities, including examinations and the October 14 admission tests, until the charge sheet in the murder case was submitted.
However, the protesters said the university authorities will have to give the students a written statement stating that their demands will be met.
Sher-e-Bangla Hall provost Jafar Iqbal Khan of the university submitted his resignation on Wednesday amid protests.
BUET Teachers’ Association president AKM Masud told students after a teachers’ meeting on Wednesday afternoon spoke to the students and was also critical of the vice-chancellor Saiful Islam. AKM Masud said that the vice-cencellor was incapable of running the university professionally.
In another meeting with the students in the BUET campus, the university student welfare director Mizanur Rahman said they wanted to stop politics as the police officials maintained connection with the student leaders and visited dormitories without the knowledge of the university authorities.
