Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) has expelled permanently 26 students of whom 25 were accused of killing Abrar Fahad. The university authorities made the announcement in a press release signed by Directorate of Student’s Welfare (DSW) Prof Dr Md Mizanur Rahman late on Thursday night.
The authorities also gave punishment to six more students on different terms for breaching the university discipline, the press release said. Of the 26 students, police have already submitted charge sheet against 25 students in the murder case. According to BUET’s statement, the 26 expelled students are: Mehedi Hasan Robein, Md AnickSarker, Ifti Mosharraf Shakal, Md Moniruzzaman Monir, Meftahul Islam Zion, Md Muzahidur Rahman, Mehedi Hasan Rasel, Ehteshamul Rabbi Tanim, KhandakerTabakhkharul Islam Tanvir, MuntasirAlamJemy, ASM Nazmus Sadat, Md Shamim Billah, Morshed Amartya Islam, Hossain Mohammad Toha, Mujtaba Rafid, Md Mizanur Rahman, Md Ashikul Islam Bitu, SM Mahmud Setu, Ishtiaq Ahmed Munna, Amit Saha, Md Mazedur Rahman, Shamsul ArefinRafat, Moaz Abu Huraira, Md Akash Hossain, Md Morsheduzzaman Mandal Zisan, and MuhtasimFuad.
Of them, only Bitu was not named in police’s charge sheet. The six other students who were punished on different terms are Abu NawshadSakib, Md Saiful islam, Md Galib, Md Shaon Mia, Sakhawat Iqbal Ovi, and Md Ismail. The university’s Board of Residence and Discipline took the actions based on the findings of BUET’s probe committee, said DSW Director Prof Mizanur in the statement. Answering to the query BUET Student’s Welfare (DSW) Director Prof Dr Md Mizanur Rahman said to Bangladesh Post, “We have taken the
decision based on BUET investigation committee’ report, not based on the charge sheet,”. Police on November 13 had submitted a charge sheet against 25 BUET students, most of them are leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s university unit, and are accused in the murder case filed over Abrar’s murder by his father.
On Monday last, amid students protest, BUET authorities had sought three weeks from the protesting students to meet their three demands, which included the expulsion of those accused of killing Abrar, punishment of students involved in ragging; and the categorization and inclusion of student politics and ragging-related issues in the BUET Ordinance through approval of the academic council and Syndicate.
Abrar, a second-year student of electrical and electronic engineering department of BUET, died after he was brutally beaten allegedly by some Chhatra League men at Sher-e-Bangla hall of the university on early hours of October 7. Police said the Chhatra League men’s suspicion that Abrar was involved with Jamaat-e-Islami's student front Islami Chhatra Shibir was “one of the reasons” they beat him. The incident triggered a firestorm of protests on campuses across the country. Many took to social media to demand justice for Abrar. Law enforcers suspect Abrar was attacked because of one of his recent Facebook posts, which seemed critical of some recent deals with India.
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, accused in Abrar Fahad killing case. In the face of severe backlash, Chhatra League central committee had expelled Mehedi, Fuad, Robein, Anick, Zion, Monir, Ifti, Jemy, Tanim, Muzahidur and Mujtaba from the organization.
