UNB, Dhaka: A Dhaka court on Wednesday sentenced 20 people to death and five others to life imprisonment for killing Buet student Abrar Fahad in 2019.
Judge Abu Zafar Md Kamaruzzaman of Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 handed down the punishment to the 25 men after holding them guilty of the murder.
On November 28, the tribunal deferred till December 8 the pronouncement of the judgment in the case.
Earlier in the day, police produced 22 of the 25 men in the court. Three other convicts —
Jishan, Rafid and Tanim — are still on the run.
According to the prosecution, Abrar, 21, a second-year student of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), was beaten to death by Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders at Sher-e-Bangla Hall of the varsity in 2019.
He was found dead on the staircase of the hall in the early hours of October 7, after he was taken to room No-2011 around 8pm on October 6 and beaten mercilessly.
On October 7, an FIR for murder was lodged at the Chawkbazar police station against 19 people, following a complaint from Abrar’s father Barkat Ullah.
On November 13, 2019, Detective Branch (DB) inspector and investigation officer of the case Wahiduzzaman submitted a chargesheet against the 25 accused.
On September 15, 2020, the court framed charges against the accused. The court recorded statements of 47 of the 60 witnesses in the case.
On March 14, this year, the 22 accused, arrested in the case, pleaded “not guilty”.