High Court to Deliver Verdict on Abrar Fahad Murder Case Appeals on Sunday
The highly anticipated verdict on the appeals and death references of the convicts sentenced to death in the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) student Abrar Fahad murder case will be announced on Sunday, March 16. The High Court bench comprising Justice A.K.M. Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayetur Rahman will deliver the verdict.
According to the Supreme Court’s website on Saturday, March 15, the case has been listed as the first item on the relevant bench’s cause list for the day.
Hearing and Case Proceedings
The hearing on the appeals and death references of the death row convicts began on February 10 and concluded on February 24. Following the hearing, the High Court bench of Justice A.K.M. Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayetur Rahman kept the case under judgment review.
On the day of the hearing, Attorney General K.B. Rumi represented the state, assisted by Assistant Attorney Generals Barrister Sumaiya Aziz and Jamiul Haque Faisal. Additionally, Attorney General Mohammad Asaduzzaman had participated in the initial proceedings. The defense was represented by lawyers S.M. Shahjahan and Shishir Monir.
In October 2023, Attorney General Mohammad Asaduzzaman initiated the process to expedite the hearings on the appeals and death references of the convicts.
On January 6, 2022, the death references for the 20 convicts sentenced to capital punishment in the Abrar Fahad murder case were submitted to the High Court for approval. The Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 sent a comprehensive case file, comprising 6,627 pages, to the High Court’s death reference section. Subsequently, the convicts filed criminal appeals and jail appeals seeking acquittal.
As per the Code of Criminal Procedure, when a lower court delivers a death sentence, the case proceedings must be forwarded to the higher court for confirmation. Convicts sentenced to death have the right to file criminal and jail appeals before the High Court.
Trial Court Verdict and Convicts
On December 8, 2021, the Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1, led by Judge Abu Zafar Md. Kamruzzaman, sentenced 20 individuals to death and five others to life imprisonment in the Abrar Fahad murder case.
The individuals sentenced to death include:
Mehedi Hasan Russell (General Secretary of BUET Chhatra League, CE, 13th batch), Mehedi Hasan Robin (Organizing Secretary, Chemical Engineering, 15th batch), Anik Sarkar Apu (Information and Research Secretary, Mechanical Engineering, 15th batch), Moniruzzaman Monir (Literature Secretary, Water Resources Engineering, 16th batch), Meftahul Islam Jion (Sports Secretary, Marine Engineering, 15th batch), Ifti Mosharraf Sokal (Deputy Social Service Secretary, Biomedical Engineering, 16th batch), and members Muntasir Al Zemi (MI department), Mojahidur Rahman (EEE, 16th batch), Hossain Mohammad Toha (ME, 17th batch), Ehteshamul Rabbi Tanim (CE, 17th batch), Shamim Billah (Marine Engineering, 17th batch), Majedur Rahman Majed (MME, 17th batch), Khandakar Tabakkarul Islam Tanvir (Mechanical, 17th batch), Muhammad Morshed Uz Zaman Mondal Jisan (EEE, 16th batch), S.M. Nazmus Sadat (ME, 17th batch), Morshed Amartya Islam (ME, 17th batch), Mizanur Rahman (Water Resources, 16th batch), Shamsul Arefin Rafat (Mechanical Engineering), Mujtaba Rafid (Deputy Office Secretary, Chemical Engineering), and S.M. Mahmud Setu (Chemical Engineering).
The five individuals sentenced to life imprisonment are:
Muhtasim Fuad (Vice President of BUET Chhatra League, CE, 14th batch), Ishtiaq Ahmed Munna (Publication Secretary, Mechanical, 3rd year), Amit Saha (Deputy Law Secretary, Civil Engineering), Akash Hossain (CE, 16th batch), and Moaz Abu Horaira (CSE, 17th batch).
Background of the Case
On the night of October 6, 2019, Abrar Fahad was beaten to death at BUET’s Sher-e-Bangla Hall. The following day, on October 7, Abrar’s father, Barkat Ullah, filed a murder case at Chawkbazar Police Station, naming 19 individuals as accused.
The case investigation was completed in just 37 days, and on November 13, 2019, Detective Branch (DB) Inspector Md. Wahiduzzaman submitted the charge sheet against the accused.
