In a landmark ruling that has reignited national conversations on campus violence and justice, the High Court has upheld the death penalty for 20 BUET students and life sentences for five others involved in the brutal murder of Abrar Fahad.
Source: the Daily Star | 4 May 2025 | Pic: Collected
The 131-page verdict, released Saturday on the Supreme Court’s website, confirms the Dhaka trial court’s 2021 judgment in one of the country’s most chilling student murder cases.
Abrar, a promising second-year EEE student at BUET, was fatally beaten in 2019 at Sher-e-Bangla Hall by Chhatra League activists, reportedly over a Facebook post critical of water-sharing deals with India. His death triggered nationwide outrage and student protests demanding justice and reform in Bangladesh’s education system.
According to The Daily Star, five of the 25 convicted remain fugitives. As the verdict echoes across campuses, many now ask: how safe are our students behind university walls?
