BUET Boils Over: Students Protest Fugitive Convict’s Escape
Students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) staged a protest march condemning the escape of Muntasir Al Jemi, a death-row convict in the murder case of BUET student Abrar Fahad. Jemi, a former student of BUET’s Mechanical Engineering Department, fled from the condemned cell of Kashimpur Central Jail, sparking outrage across the BUET campus.
Demanding the immediate arrest and execution of Jemi, the protesting students chanted slogans such as, “Fasi’r dori jhulai de, shob khunider gordaane” (“Hang the noose on every killer”), “Abrar bhai’er rokto, britha jete debo na” (“We won’t let Abrar’s blood go in vain”), and “Amar bhai kobore, khuni keno bahire” (“Why is my brother in the grave while the killer roams free?”). The campus became a hub of intense protest late into the night.
The demonstration began at 11:30 PM on Monday (February 24) from BUET’s Shaheed Minar. Students marched through Palashi Mor and the VC Chattar, finally converging at Dhaka University’s Raju Sculpture, where they held a protest rally followed by a press conference.
Speaking at the rally, Abrar Fahad’s younger brother, Abrar Faiyaz, expressed his anguish over the escape. “Today was a hearing for my brother’s murder case at the High Court. There, we learned that my brother’s killer, Muntasir Al Jemi, has escaped. The state is responsible for his escape. The current government cannot evade this responsibility. Senior officials knew about the escape but deliberately concealed it. The High Court revealed today that he fled after August 5,” he said.
Faiyaz further questioned the administration’s inaction. “Why did the authorities hide this? Why was no action taken for so long? We have not received any clear answers. This is a shameful moment for the state. We demand a direct response from the administration and urge immediate steps to arrest the fugitive. Those involved in aiding the escape must also be identified and punished,” he added.
In a press release signed by Mohammad Farhad Hossain, Assistant Inspector General (Development) of the Prison Directorate, it was confirmed that death-row inmate Muntasir Al Jemi (26), prisoner number 5177/A, son of Abdul Majid from Kalian village, Kendua, Netrokona, escaped from the High-Security Central Jail in Gazipur on August 6, 2024. Jemi fled along with 202 other inmates after breaching the prison wall, including 87 death-row convicts. Following the incident, a case was filed at Konabari Police Station on August 15 (Case No. 4(8)24), and all relevant law enforcement agencies were notified.
So far, 51 of the escapees, including 35 death-row convicts, have been recaptured and returned to prison. The search for the remaining fugitives continues. Prison authorities confirmed that 21 out of the 22 convicts sentenced in the Abrar Fahad murder case are currently in custody.
Meanwhile, the hearing for the appeals and death references of the convicts in the high-profile Abrar Fahad murder case has concluded. The High Court is now set to deliver its verdict at any time.
The hearing was conducted by the High Court bench comprising Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayetur Rahim. Attorney General K.B. Rumi represented the state, accompanied by Assistant Attorneys General Barrister Sumaiya Aziz and Jamiul Haque Faisal. On the initial day of the hearing, former Attorney General Md. Asaduzzaman presented arguments for the state. Defense lawyers SM Shahjahan and Shishir Monir represented the convicts.
