The High Court on Sunday upheld the lower court’s verdict sentencing 20 Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) students to death and five others to life imprisonment in the Abrar Fahad murder case.

A High Court bench comprising Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayetur Rahim delivered the verdict.

During the verdict announcement, Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman, Deputy Attorney Generals KB Rumi, Zahirul Islam Suman, Noor Mohammad Azmi, and Assistant Attorney General Barrister Sumaiya Aziz were present on behalf of the state.

Defence lawyers Masud Hasan Chowdhury and Azizur Rahman Dulu represented the convicts. Members of Abrar Fahad’s family were also present in the courtroom.

Earlier, on Saturday, the High Court had scheduled Sunday for pronouncing its verdict on the death references and appeals filed by the convicts. The hearing on these matters concluded on February 24, after which the case was kept under review.

On the night of October 6, 2019, Abrar Fahad was beaten to death in Sher-e-Bangla Hall of Buet.

The following day, on October 7, his father, Barkat Ullah, filed a murder case at Chakbazar Police Station, accusing 19 people.

After completing the investigation in just 37 days, the investigation officer, DB Inspector Md Wahiduzzaman, submitted the charge sheet on November 13 of the same year.

Later, on December 8, 2021, the court sentenced 20 people to death and five others to life imprisonment in the murder case of Buet student Abrar Fahad. The verdict was announced by Judge Abu Zafar Mohammad Kamruzzaman of the Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1.

The death sentence convicts include :

Buet Chhatra League General Secretary Mehedi Hasan Russell from Civil Engineering, 13th batch; Organizing Secretary Mehedi Hasan Robin from Chemical Engineering, 15th batch; Information and Research Secretary Anik Sarkar Appu from Mechanical Engineering, 15th batch; Literature Secretary Moniruzzaman Monir from Water Resources Engineering, 16th batch; Sports Secretary Meftahul Islam Jiyon from Marine Engineering, 15th batch; Social Welfare Secretary Ifti Mosharraf Sokal from Biomedical Engineering, 16th batch; members Muntasir Al Zemi from the MI department, Mojahidur Rahman from EEE department, 16th batch, Hossain Mohammad Toha from ME department, 17th batch, Ahteshamul Rabbie Tanim from Civil Engineering, 17th batch, Shamim Billah from Marine Engineering, 17th batch, Majedur Rahman Majed from MME department, 17th batch, Khondkar Tabakkarul Islam Tanvir from Mechanical, 17th batch, Mohammad Morshed-uz-Zaman Mondol Jisan from EEE department, 16th batch, SM Najmus Sadat from ME department, 17th batch, Morshed Amarty Islam from ME department, 17th batch, Mizanur Rahman from Water Resources, 16th batch, Shamsul Arefin Rafat from Mechanical Engineering, Deputy Office Secretary Mujtaba Rafid from Chemical Engineering, and SM Mahamud Setu from Chemical Engineering.

The five convicts sentenced to life imprisonment are :

Buet Chhatra League Vice President Muhtasim Fuad from the 14th batch, Civil Engineering; Publication and Printing Secretary Istiak Ahmed Munna from Mechanical, 3rd year; Law Affairs Sub-Secretary Amit Saha from Civil Engineering; member Akash Hossain from Civil Engineering, 16th batch; and Moaz Abu Huraira from CSE, 17th batch.

On January 6, 2022, the death reference and case files were sent to the High Court for approval of the 20 death sentences in the murder case of Buet student Abrar Fahad. The death reference and all case documents, totaling 6,627 pages, were sent from Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 to the High Court’s Death Reference Section.