The police have found negligence of the BUET (Bangladesh University of Science and Technology) hall administration that led to the death of meritorious student Abrar Fahad, in which 25 murderers were charge-sheeted yesterday. “We believe that the murder of Abrar took place as part of a habit of ruthless acts in the name of ragging on the BUET campus. Had the hall administration and the university administration monitored such events, this would not have happened,” Monirul Islam, additional commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said at a press briefing at the DMP media centre.
Islam made the comments after the Detective Branch (DB) of the police submitted the charge-sheet before a Dhaka court against 25 former Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders and activists of the BUET unit who created a fearsome environment on the campus all the time in the name of ragging.
Earlier in the day, Md Wahiduzzaman, Detective Brach (DB) inspector and also the investigating officer of the case, submitted the charge-sheet before the related branch of the Dhaka chief metropolitan magistrate's court. Abrar Fahad, a second-year student of the electrical and electronics engineering department of BUET, died after he was brutally beaten up, allegedly by some Chhatra League men, at Sher-e-Bangla Hall of the university on October 7.
In its investigation, the police found that the former BCL men started torturing Abrar sometime around 10:00pm and that doctors declared him dead around 3:00am. Had the BUET hall administration conducted proper monitoring, this gruesome killing might not have occurred, the investigation report said.
After hearing the news about the submitting of the charge-sheet in the case, Law Minister Anisul Huq said the government would take steps to conduct the trial proceedings under the Speedy Trial Tribunal Act. “I will talk to the home ministry for taking steps to hold the trial under the Speedy Trial Tribunal Act 2008. As per this Act, the trial of a case ends within a maximum period of 135 days,” he said while talking to reporters at his Secretariat office. After completing all formalities, the trial would begin under the act very soon.
The law minister also said that he has kept a prosecution team ready for moving the Abrar murder case quickly as he had said earlier. Family members of Abrar have sought quick disposal of the trial proceedings and the highest punishment for all the charge-sheeted accused in the case.
Expressing satisfaction over the quick submission of the charge-sheet, Abrar’s mother, Rokeya Khatun, urged the government to arrest all fugitive killers and ensure the highest punishment for all of them. Abrar Fayez, younger brother of Abrar Farhad, said the accused should be punished as the Prime Minister and the law minister had directed earlier.
About the negligence of the BUET administration as mentioned by the police, Fayez expressed hope that the administration would be more careful in future. The charge-sheeted accused are: Mehedi Hasan Rasel of the civil engineering batch-13, general secretary of the BUET BCL; Muhtasim Fuad of the civil engineering batch-14, vice-president; Anik Sarker of the mechanical engineering batch-15, the secretary of information and research affairs; Mehedi Hasan Robein of the chemical engineering batch-15, the organising secretary; Ifti Mosharraf Shakal of the biomedical engineering batch-16, the deputy social welfare secretary; Moniruzzaman Monir, naval architecture and marine engineering batch-16; Ishtiaq Ahmed Munna of mechanical engineering batch-15, the publication affairs secretary; Meftahul Islam Zion of naval architecture and marine engineering batch-15, the sports secretary; Mazedur Rahman, the materials and metallurgical engineering department; and Muzahidur Rahman Muzahid, civil engineering batch-16.
Khandaker Tabakhkharul Islam Tanvir of mechanical engineering batch-16; Hossain Mohammad Toha, mechanical engineering batch-17; Morsheduzzaman Jisan, batch-16; Md Akash, civil engineering batch-16; Md Shamem Billah, naval architecture and marine engineering batch-17; Nazmus Sadat, mechanical engineering batch-17; Ehteshamul Rabbi Tanim, civil engineering batch-17; Morshed Amartya Islam, mechanical engineering batch-17; Moaz Abu Huraira, computer science and engineering batch-17; Muntasir Alam Jemi of chemical engineering batch-17; Amit Saha, civil engineering batch-16; Muztaba Rafid, chemical engineering batch-16; Istiaq Hasan Munna, mechanical engineering batch-15; Samsul Arefin Rafat, mechanical engineering batch-17; Mizanur Rahman, naval architecture and marine engineering batch-16; and Mahmud Setu, chemical engineering batch-14 are also among the accused.
Among them, 11 had direct link with torturing Abrar and the rest were involved in abetting and planning his murder, Monirul Islam said at the DMP’s media centre after submission of the charge-sheet. He also said that Abrar Fahad was not killed for any single reason. Possible involvement in Shibir politics is just one of the reasons behind the killing. Those who killed him are known for their rude behavior. If someone disagreed with them, didn’t give a salute (salam), or laughed in front of them, he/she were tortured ruthlessly.
Monirul Islam said: “The accused do these things to intimidate the newcomers in the name of ragging. We did not receive any complaint before. However, a witness in the investigation said that he was beaten up because he did not salute one. We believe that the murder of Abrar took place as part of a habit of ruthless acts in the name of ragging. Had the hall administration and the university administration monitored such events, this would not have happened.”
“In the investigation, we found out that torture started on Abrar after 10pm. At 2.50am, doctors declared him dead. He had been beaten up for a long time. Had he been taken to hospital earlier, he might have been saved,” he added.
Abrar’s father filed a case against 19 accused with Chawkbazar police station a day after his son’s killing.
The DB has arrested 21 people since the case was filed by Abrar’s father. Of them, 16 are named in the FIR and five have not been named.
Four people are absconding. They are: Jisan, Morshed Amartya Islam, Ajtesamul Rabbi Tanim, and Muztaba Rafid.
Among the arrested accused, Rasel, Muhtasim Fuad, Anik Sarker, Robin, Shakal, Monir, Zion, Muzahid, Toha, Tanvir, Shamem Billah, Sadat, Abu Huraira, Jemi, Md Akash, Md Mazedul Islam have been named in the FIR. Munna, Amit, Mizan, Rafat and Setu have not been named.