Abrar murder: prosecution concludes arguments against all 25 accused

The prosecution today completed placing arguments in support of framing charges against all 25 accused in a case filed over the murder of Buet student Abrar Fahad last year.

During the hearing today, Advocate Mosharraf Hossain Kajol, chief prosecutor of the case, told the court that it is a sensational case and the accused had committed serious and heinous offences by torturing Abrar to death, in the name of interrogation about his political identity.

After completion of Kajol's submission, defence lawyers for 13 accused placed arguments in support of discharging their clients.

Judge Abu Zafar Md Kamruzzaman of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 of Dhaka set September 9 for next hearing of the case.

Twenty-two out of 25 accused, who are now in jail, were produced before the tribunal today.

Three other accused remain fugitives.

Abrar, a second-year student of electrical and electronic engineering department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), died after he was brutally beaten allegedly by some Chhatra League men at Sher-e-Bangla hall of the university in the early hours of October 7, 2019.

Later, his father filed a case with Chawkbazar Police Station against 19 Buet BCL leaders.

The incident triggered a firestorm of protests on campuses across the country. Many took to social media to demand justice for Abrar.

Amid protest on the campus, Buet authorities on October 11 banned all political activities on the campus and suspended 19 students, mostly leaders of the university's BCL unit who have been made accused in Abrar murder case.

On November 13 last year, detectives submitted a 105-page charge sheet against 25 Buet students in the case.