Sixth death anniversary of Buet student Abrar Fahad: Family, locals demand swift execution of verdict
Today (7 October) marks the sixth death anniversary of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) student Abrar Fahad, who was brutally beaten to death by members of the now-banned Bangladesh Chhatra League at the university's Sher-e-Bangla Hall in 2019.
Six years on, Abrar's parents, Rokeya Khatun and Barkat Ullah, have expressed deep frustration over the failure to arrest fugitive convicts and implement the court verdict.
Notably, the High Court on 16 March upheld a trial court's verdict in the Abrar Fahad murder case, sentencing 20 people to death and five others to life imprisonment. However, their appeals are still pending hearings in the Supreme Court.
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At the family's residence on PTI Road in Kushtia town, Abrar's belongings — his mobile phone, laptop, and study desk — remain just as he left them. His mementos are neatly kept in a showcase. But what the house no longer has is Abrar himself; only his memory, an unending sense of loss, and grief remain.
On 6 October 2019, Abrar's mother fed him and saw him off on a bus from Kushtia to Dhaka. That was the last time she saw her son. That night, inside Sher-e-Bangla Hall of Buet, Abrar was subjected to inhumane torture by Chhatra League leaders and activists, leading to his death.
Still waiting for justice, Abrar's father Barkat Ullah said, "My son was martyred for his dream of a just and discrimination-free nation. We are still waiting for that dream to be fulfilled. We demand the immediate arrest of the fugitives and execution of the verdict."
Abrar's mother, Rokeya Khatun, now lives in Dhaka with their younger son, Abrar Faiyaz, who is currently a second-year student in Buet's Department of Mechanical Engineering.
To commemorate Abrar's death anniversary, the Shaheed Abrar Fahad Memorial Library, situated at Kushtia's Kataikhana intersection, has organised a series of programmes, including a discussion meeting and prayer session.
Masum Billah, general secretary of the library, said, "Shaheed Abrar Fahad's sacrifice inspires us to stand against injustice. We urge the authorities to arrest the fugitives and implement the verdict without further delay."
The library's adviser, Sultan Maruf Talha, added, "Shaheed Abrar Fahad is not just a name — he is a spark that taught us to resist injustice and oppression. It is shameful for our nation that his killers are still roaming free."
The brutal killing of Abrar Fahad inside the country's premier engineering university continues to shock the nation even six years later. Standing in solidarity with his grieving family, residents of Kushtia have renewed their demand for the immediate arrest of the fugitive convicts and swift execution of the court's ruling.
Earlier yesterday (6 October), the Ministry of Cultural Affairs announced to observe the day every year.
"Alongside cultural festivals, two politically significant days have been included — the death anniversary of Abrar Fahad on 7 October and the BDR Massacre Day on 25 February. From now on, these two days will be observed annually under the initiative of the cultural ministry," according to a statement from Chief Adviser's Facebook (Chief Adviser GOB).
