“Want to see my son’s killers hang before I die”

Retired NGO official Barkatullah lives in a one-storey house at PTI Road in Kushtia along with his family. Even a few days ago, local people knew that some happy persons were living in the home.

Everything turned topsy-turvy overnight when Barkatullah's eldest son Abrar Fahad was tortured to death by some Bangladesh Chhatra League members at his dormitory on the campus of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.

After the brutal killing of her son, deceased Abrar's mother Rokeya Khatun seemed to have turned into a stone out of grief. Her eyes ran out of tears from crying for her son. She cannot yet sleep properly.

On Wednesday, after hearing from her neighbours about the pressing of charges in the case filed in connection with her son's killing, she sat in front of the TV set.

Upon hearing the news of the submission of charge sheet against 25 accused for being directly and indirectly involved in the killing of Abrar, she broke out in tears. She pounded her chest, raised her open palms in prayer seeking quick trial of the killers.

The environment became heavy with the wailing of Abrar's mother and other relatives.  Rokeya Khatun told the media persons present there that the police administration extended much cooperation to them and pressed charge sheets quickly.

Alongside expressing gratitude to the law enforcers for filing the charge sheet in quick time, she demanded capital punishment to the killers of her son so that no can dare to commit such crime in future.

Rokeya Khatun said, "As we have not yet read the charge sheet we cannot say whether it was impartial. In the TV we saw that 11 criminals directly tortured my son to death. But the BUET administration despite knowing it did not take any action".

She said, "As police pressed the charge sheet quickly against the killers of my son, I urge the Prime Minister to take steps so that the trial of the killing starts soon and the accused are awarded the capital punishment." She also demanded quick implementation of the verdict of the trial.

Rokeya Khatun said, "I fed my son with my own hands and bade him farewell from the house.  My last wish is to see the hanging of the killers of my son before I die".

Abrar Fahad's younger brother Abrar Faiyaz said, "Till now, we wanted a proper investigation into the incident and it seems that has happened".

Demanding immediate arrest of the four absconding accused in the killing incident, he said as everybody knows that the BUET authorities had some negligence in this case, they also need to be made accountable.  

Faiyaz drew the attention of the home minister for speedy completion of the case proceedings.

The Business Standard could not talk to Abrar's father Barkatullah as he was outside.  

However, the family members of Abrar who were present there said the incident of Abrar murder came to the notice of all including the prime minister thanks to the media.

They demanded completion of the trial speedily as the charge sheet has been framed speedily.