The High Court of Bangladesh has upheld the death sentences of 20 men convicted of murdering university student Abrar Fahad in 2019 after he criticized the government’s water-sharing treaty with India in a Facebook post.
Abrar Fahad, a 21-year-old student at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), was killed inside a university dormitory in October 2019. He was brutally beaten to death with cricket bats and skipping ropes by a group of 25 students, all members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling Awami League party at the time. His body was found on a stairway inside the dormitory, and an autopsy revealed extensive injuries caused by blunt objects.
The murder sparked nationwide protests, leading then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to pledge the highest punishment for those responsible. In 2021, a lower court sentenced 20 individuals to death and handed life imprisonment to five others.
A High Court bench consisting of Justices AKM Asaduzzaman and Syed Enayet Hossain upheld the verdict on Sunday. Four of the 20 individuals sentenced to death remain at large, including Muntasir Al Jamie, who escaped from a high-security prison in August 2024 amid anti-government protests.
Following the ruling, Fahad’s father, Barkat Ullah, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision and urged authorities to expedite the legal process. “I hope justice will be served soon,” he told reporters. He also advised students to avoid political entanglements, stressing that parents work hard to provide their children with an education, only to be devastated when they fall into harmful influences.
Abrar’s younger brother, Abrar Faiyaz, stated that the family had not expected such a swift High Court ruling. He attributed the timely verdict to the political changes that took place following the removal of Sheikh Hasina in 2024, which resulted in Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus being appointed as the country’s chief advisor.
Faiyaz emphasized that prompt implementation of the verdict would serve as a deterrent against future crimes, ensuring that no other family endures the same tragedy.
Meanwhile, lawyers representing some of the convicted individuals have stated their intention to appeal the verdict. Defense lawyer Azizur Rahman Dulu confirmed that once the appeals are filed, the execution of the death sentences will be put on hold until further court proceedings take place.
