Murder of Abrar Fahad

Murder of Abrar Fahad
Part of Violence of Bangladesh Chhatra League
Location	BUET, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Coordinates	23°43′36″N 90°23′33″E / 23.72667°N 90.39250°E / 23.72667; 90.39250
Date	October 6, 2019; 5 years ago c. 8:00 pm (UTC+6)
Victim	Abrar Fahad
Charges	See the § Trial and sentences section

On October 6, 2019, Abrar Fahad (Bengali: আবরার ফাহাদ; Bengali pronunciation: [ābrār fāhād] ^ⓘ), a second-year student in the Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) department at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), was murdered inside BUET's Sher-e-Bangla Hall by activists of Chhatra League, student wing of then ruling party Awami League.

The incident sparked national outrage and led to protests against campus violence. Out of 25 convicts, 20 were given death sentence and 5 others were give life sentence in relation to the murder of Abrar Fahad following a highly publicized trial.^[1][2] An autopsy report later confirmed that Fahad died as a result of severe blunt force trauma.^[3][4]

Abrar Fahad was found dead in Room 2011 of Sher-e-Bangla Hall at BUET. He had been staying in Room 1011 of the same dormitory. Abrar had gone home on leave 10 days earlier, intending to stay until October 20th. However, with exams approaching, he decided to return to his hall to focus on his studies.^[5]

On October 4th, Mehedi Hasan Robin, the Organizing Secretary of the BUET Chhatra League, reportedly gave instructions in a group chat to beat Abrar.^[6] This information came to light following a confession from Ifti Mosharraf Shakal, the group's Deputy Social Service Secretary.^[7]Amit Saha, the Deputy Law Secretary, suggested waiting until Abrar returned from his home.^[8]

On the night of October 6th, 2019, Abrar was brought to Room 2011, along with his two mobile phones and laptop.^[9] At that point, Mujtaba Rafid, the Deputy Office Secretary of BUET Chhatra League, and Khandaker Tabakkharul Islam Tanvir, a third-year Mechanical Engineering student, inspected his phones.^[10] Meanwhile, Muntasir Al Jemi, a second-year student from the same department, checked his laptop.^[11] During this, Mehedi Hasan Robin began slapping Abrar.^[6]

Shamsul Arefin Rafat, a second-year Mechanical Engineering student, brought a cricket stump, which Ifti Mosharraf Shakal used to hit Abrar multiple times until it broke.^[12] Later, Anik Sarkar, the Information and Research Secretary of BUET Chhatra League and a fourth-year Mechanical Engineering student, repeatedly beat Abrar on his knees, legs, soles, and arms with another stump.^[13] Meftahul Islam Zion, the Sports Secretary, also slapped Abrar and hit him on the knees with the stump.^[14]

Meanwhile, Mehedi Hasan communicated with the General Secretary of the BUET Chhatra League, Rasel Mehedi Hasan, over the phone.^[15] By around 10:30 PM, Abrar was lying on the floor, weakened from the beating^[16] Ifti Mosharraf Shakal forced him to stand up and slapped him. Mujahidur Rahman, a third-year Electrical Engineering student, then hit him with a skipping rope. Ifti Mosharraf Shakal continued to strike Abrar's knees and legs with a stump, and Khandaker Tanvir repeatedly slapped him.^[17] Around 11 PM, Anik Sarkar entered the room again and hit Abrar with the stump and the group eventually left the room around midnight.^[18]

Abrar, struggling to breathe, was given two pillows under his head by Ifti Mosharraf Shakal.^[19] Abrar vomited several times.^[17] The group then moved him to Room 2005 of the dormitory. Amit Saha tried to extract more information from Abrar, suggesting they continue beating him to get more details.^[19] Realizing his condition was deteriorating, Amit suggested they take him out of the hall.

Mehedi Hasan and Anik Sarkar went into Room 2005, saw that Abrar seemed somewhat stable, and left.^[20] Shortly after, Abrar vomited again. Mehedi Hasan talked about handing him over to the police.^[21] Members of the 17th batch then moved Abrar to the ground floor with a mattress.^[22] During this time, Mehedi Hasan Rasel, the General Secretary, was coordinating with the police.^[21]

When Muntasir Al Jemi informed Ifti Mosharraf Shakal that Abrar's condition had worsened, Shakal suggested massaging him.^[23] Ismail and Monir called for an ambulance, but due to a delay, Tamim brought a doctor from BUET Medical Center.^[17]

At 3 AM on Monday, police recovered Abrar's body from the ground floor of BUET's Sher-e-Bangla Hall.^[24] Medical Officer Dr. Md. Mashuk Elahi declared him dead around the same time. CCTV footage from the second floor of the dormitory showed several individuals dragging Abrar by his hands and feet down a corridor.^[25]

Footage also revealed that at 3:26 AM, the Director of BUET's Student Welfare Council, Professor Mizanur Rahman, stood beside the body and had a conversation with the suspects before leaving.^[26] The next day, he claimed he knew nothing about the incident until the morning. Abrar's phone and laptop were in the possession of Chhatra League members, making it impossible for any of his friends to inform his family immediately after his death.^[27]

Eventually, they obtained the contact number of Abrar's younger brother, Abrar Faiyaz, from a BUET student named Diganta who used to tutor him.^[28] Faiyaz was called, and after a few rings, he picked up, allowing the family to learn about his death.^[27] News of Abrar's death spread fear among the students of Sher-e-Bangla Hall. Many were too scared to share information, fearing retaliation from Chhatra League members.^[29] A few students from the 17th batch decided to write a message and posted it across all BUET-related Facebook pages and groups, including the Alumni Association.

This helped the news gradually spread.^[30] Initially, when Abrar was in critical condition, Chhatra League leaders planned to hand him over to the police, labeling him as a "Shibir activist" (a term used for members of the student wing of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami). One leader at the scene even called the Duty Officer at Chawkbazar Police Station, stating, "We have caught an activist; come take him away."^[21] A police patrol team was dispatched to Sher-e-Bangla Hall following this call. However, a security guard at the hall, who wished to remain anonymous, told Bangla Tribune, "A police vehicle arrived and asked where the activist was, but the Chhatra League did not allow them to enter the hall afterward."^[31]

Abrar's classmates suggested that his death might have been related to his Facebook posts. In a status update, Abrar criticized the signing of bilateral agreements with India during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's four-day official visit.^[32]

In his post, he discussed the Indian use of the Mongla Port, the withdrawal of water from the Feni River, and the import of LPG from Bangladesh.^[33] The post reads:

1.After the partition in 1947, there was no seaport in the western part of the country. The then government requested India to use the Kolkata Port for six months, but the response was dismissive. Consequently, the Mongla Port was opened prematurely to combat famine. Ironically, India now seeks to use the Mongla Port.

2. There were headlines a few years ago about disputes over the sharing of water from the Kaveri River between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In contrast, we are willing to supply 150,000 cubic meters of water daily without exchange.

3. A few years ago, North India ceased exporting coal and stones to protect its resources, yet we are providing them with gas, even though our own factories are shut due to a gas shortage.

Perhaps the poet wrote in search of such happiness:

'For others' sake, I say Give all your life and mind, Is there such happiness anywhere That you forget yourself?'

(Translated from Bengali)

Students at universities across the country, including BUET and Dhaka University, held demonstrations on their respective campuses, demanding punishment for the perpetrators responsible for Fahad's death.^{[34][35][36][37][38]}

Students at Khulna University formed a human chain at the main gate of the university, blocked highways in front of their campus and tied their faces with black badges to protest Abrar's murder^[39] Students at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, formed a human chain in front of main gate of the campus in Sylhet. The students later brought out a protest rally which paraded Sylhet-Sunamganj highway.^[40] The BUET authorities imposed a ban on all political activities within the campus and temporarily suspended 19 students, primarily leaders of the university's BCL unit, who were implicated in the murder case.^[41]

In 2024, a renewed effort by the BCL to reintroduce politics at BUET faced widespread resistance, sparking protests and a boycott of academic activities across the university.^[42]

In response to widespread protests across Bangladesh, the BUET administration implemented measures to enhance campus safety.^[43][44] These measures include:

• Prohibiting student politics influenced by political parties; even though organizational politics had already been banned in the university campus.^[45]
• Temporarily expelling 19 individuals implicated in the murder, with permanent expulsion for those named in the charge sheet.^[46]
• Covering all legal expenses related to Abrar's murder case and providing compensation to his family.
• Reviewing past harassment incidents on campus and establishing an online platform for filing complaints.
• Installing CCTV cameras and monitoring systems in all student halls.

•  United States: The U.S. Embassy in Bangladesh, through a statement by Ambassador Earl R. Miller posted on its official Facebook page, affirmed, "Freedom of expression is a fundamental right in any democracy. We join all voices calling for a comprehensive investigation and extend our heartfelt condolences to his family".^[47]

•  United Kingdom: British High Commission in Dhaka posted on their official Facebook page stating they're "Shocked and saddened by events at BUET. The UK stands unconditionally for free speech, media freedom, human rights and the rule of law".^[48][49]

•  France: French Embassy in Dhaka, in a statement posted on its Facebook page, also said: "We are deeply shocked and saddened by the killing of a Buet student."^[50] 

•  Germany: Embassy of Germany in Dhaka posted on their official Facebook page stating, "The embassy would like to express its heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends of the student and calls on everybody to advocate freedom of expression emphasizing the importance of this keystone of democracy".^[48]

•  United Nations: UN Resident Coordinator Mia Seppo called for quick investigation and justice in the incident, stating, "Freedom of speech is a human right, and nobody should be harassed, tortured or killed for exercising it".^[48]

Amnesty International condemned the murder as a "heinous crime requiring urgent investigation." The organization stated that "Abrar was simply exercising his right to freedom of expression through his Facebook posts criticizing the government."^[51]

Brad Adams, Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, remarked, "A government that overlooks torture, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings by security forces, and arbitrary arrests of dissenters fosters an environment where students can operate a 'torture cell' on a university campus."^[52][53]

Asian Forum for Human Rights and Developments member organisation Odhikar condemned the killing and "expresses grave concern on this situation of lawlessness and culture of fear".^[54]

Eventually, eighteen members of the BUET Chhatra League were detained in connection with the murder.^{[55][56][57][58]}

Later on, 25 people were convicted in the Abrar Fahad murder case and all were students at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). The Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 sentenced 20 of them to death and 5 to life imprisonment.^[59]

• ^* Name not mentioned in the First information report (Bengali: এজাহার)

On 2022, Fahad's younger brother, Abrar Faiyaz, cleared the admission test for BUET, the same institute where Abrar was murdered.^[68] He added, "I took the decision upon discussing the matter with my family members".^[69]

In October 2024, a short film titled Room Number 2011 was released, named after the dorm room where he was killed.^[70] Directed by Sheikh Jisan Ahamed, the film was based on the events surrounding his death and the subsequent impact on student politics and free speech.^[71]

Abrar's death also played a part in catalyzing broader political movements in Bangladesh, culminating in what has been referred to as the "July Revolution".^[72] This movement saw mass protests against the government, calling for greater democratic freedoms, transparency, and a pushback against oppressive political practices.^[73]

On the fifth anniversary of Fahad's death, a foundation stone was laid after a memorial meeting organized under the banner of "Abrar Fahad Smriti Sangsad" at Plassey intersection in Dhaka.^[74] BUET Vice-Chancellor A. B. M. Badruzzaman inaugurated the foundation stone of the memorial.^[75] They also demanded the government to announce October 7, the day of Abrar's death, as the 'National Anti-Aggression Day'.^[76]

• Violence of Bangladesh Chhatra League
• Human Rights in Bangladesh

• abrarfahadarchive.org

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