Students and activists at separate programmes in Dhaka on Thursday remembered Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology student Abrar Fahad on his second death anniversary and demanded justice for his brutal killing committed allegedly by two dozen leaders and activists of the BUET unit of the Bangladesh Chhatra League.
The students and activists also called for ending ill treatment, ragging and humiliation mostly committed by BCL leaders in halls and educational institutions across the country.
Marking the day, BUET students and classmates of Abrar organised programmes, including distribution of foods among destitute people, on the campus.
The Bangladesh Chhatra Odhikar Parishad held rallies, staged a drama and organised a photo exhibition at the base of Raju Memorial Sculpture on the Dhaka University campus.
Expressing solidarity, Abrar鈥檚 father Barkat Ullah joined the programme over mobile phone and demanded justice for Abrar as soon as possible.
Photographer and rights activist Shahidul Alam, Jahangirnagar University government and politics department professor Abdul Latif Masum, former Dhaka University Central Students鈥� Union vice-president Nurul Haque Nur and Bangladesh Chhatra Odhiker Parishad leaders spoke at the programme.聽
Expressing solidarity, Student Federation Bangladesh central general secretary Zahid Sujon also spoke on the occasion.
BUET students organised a street play, displayed paintings, sang songs and recited poems noon on the campus.
Students with black badges also held a human chain in front of the Shaheed Miner at BUET for commemorating Abrar.
They expressed their dissatisfaction as the university administration was yet to meet their previous demands, including marking of October 7 in the BUET academic calendar and building of memorial sculpture in Abrar鈥檚 name.
They urged the university authorities to implement the demands immediately.
Abrar, 21, a second-year electrical and electronic engineering student of BUET, was beaten to death in the university鈥檚 Sher-e-Bangla Hall by Chhatra League leaders and activists early October 7, 2019 apparently for his critical views of the government and Indian 鈥榓ggression鈥� on Bangladesh on social media.
In September 2020, the Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 charged 25 BUET students and BCL leaders and activists with torture and murder of Abrar.
The case is now pending with the tribunal chaired by Abu Zafor Mohammad Kamruzzaman, who has completed the recording of 46 prosecution witnesses.
Twenty-two of the accused are now in jail and three others have been absconding since the case was filed.