Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today assured the family of BUET student Abrar Fahad, who was beaten to death by leaders and activists of the then ruling Bangladesh Chhatra League, of all-out government support.
During a meeting with the family members at the Prime Minister’s Office at the Cabinet Division of Bangladesh Secretariat this afternoon, Abrar’s father Md Barkat Ullah sought the Prime Minister’s cooperation for expediting the judicial process in his son’s murder case and executing the verdict.
The Prime Minister assured him that the case is currently pending before the higher court and the judiciary will complete the proceedings independently.
He also assured that the government would provide all necessary support to the family in this regard, said Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Md Suzauddoula (Sujon Mahmud).
Abrar’s father also sought the Prime Minister’s intervention for constructing a bridge over the Gorai River in Kushtia, completing the construction of Abrar Fahad’s grave and finishing the construction of a nearby mosque.
He said around 40,000 to 50,000 people of the area currently cross the river using a makeshift bamboo bridge.
The Prime Minister assured him of constructing the bridge and pledged to name it after Abrar Fahad. He also instructed that the construction of the mosque be completed immediately.
During the meeting, Abrar’s father also raised the issue of the absconding convicts in the murder case and sought their immediate arrest.
He said the family was informed about an accused escaping from Kashimpur High Security Central Jail nearly six months after the incident. He urged the Prime Minister to take steps to bring the escaped and still-untraced accused to justice at the earliest.
Abrar’s mother Rokeya Khatun urged the Prime Minister to ensure that no other mother has to suffer the same fate.
“Every boy and girl on every campus is someone’s child, just like mine. I want no campus to return to the situation of the past. No mother should have to lose her child in this way,” she said.
Abrar’s younger brother Abrar Faiyaz invited the Prime Minister to visit the BUET campus and sought the construction of a new residential hall there named after Abrar Fahad.
He also called for including the story of Abrar Fahad in textbooks so that the new generation can learn about him.
In response to the demands, the Prime Minister immediately spoke to the Education Secretary.
Faiyaz also urged the Prime Minister to prepare a list of people who were killed in different periods before the July movement, similar to the government’s list of those killed during the July movement.
The Prime Minister said a project in this regard is currently being processed by the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs and work is underway on it.
Central Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal President Rakibul Islam Rakib and General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir were also present at the meeting.
Abrar Fahad, a student of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), was beaten to death on October 6, 2019, after he was taken to Room No. 2011 of Sher-e-Bangla Hall by several leaders and activists of the then ruling Bangladesh Chhatra League.
Abrar was a resident of Raydanga village under Koya Union of Kumarkhali upazila in Kushtia.
A day before his death, on October 5, Abrar had criticised in a Facebook post several agreements and memorandums of understanding signed during then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India.
He had raised questions about Bangladesh-India relations over the use of Mongla Port, sharing of water from the Feni River and gas exports.
The following night, several Chhatra League leaders took him to the hall and questioned him over the Facebook post before beating him. He later became unconscious and was left on the staircase of the hall. A post-mortem examination found evidence of severe injuries and internal bleeding caused by excessive beating.
The killing sparked protests at BUET and other universities across the country. Students demanded punishment of the killers and raised a 10-point demand.
On October 7, Abrar’s father Barkat Ullah filed a case with Chawkbazar Police Station against 19 people. Following an investigation, the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police submitted a charge sheet against 25 people.
On December 8, 2021, the Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 sentenced 20 accused to death and five others to life imprisonment in the case.
On March 16, 2025, the High Court upheld the trial court’s verdict.
Subsequently, nine of the convicts whose death sentences were upheld filed appeals against the High Court verdict with the Appellate Division, while one of those sentenced to life imprisonment filed a leave-to-appeal petition.
The case is currently pending before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
