Within less than two months of the sensational killing of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) student Abrar Fahad murder, Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Wednesday submitted charge sheet accusing twenty five BUET students. Family members of the slain student thanked the police for submitting the charge sheet in the quickest possible time and demanded its speedy trial.
Talking to the Bangladesh Post, DB Inspector Wahiduzzaman, who is also the investigation officer of the case, confirmed the matter. He also told that 21 accused have been arrested so far in the case while four accused are still absconding. According to the court sources, among the 25 charge sheeted accused, names of 16 arrested accused were in the first information report (FIR) and five were out of FIR.
Of the charge sheeted accused, Mehedi Hasan Russel, Anik Sarker, Ifti Mosharraf Sakal, Md Mehedi Hasan Robin, Md Meftahul Islam Jeon, Muntassir Alam Jemmy, Khandaker Tabakkharul Islam Tanvir, Md Muzahidur Rahman, Muhtasim Fuad, Md Moniruzzaman Monir, Md Akash Hossain, Hossain Mohammad Toha, Md Mazedul Islam, Shamim Billah, Moaj Abu Hurayra and ASM Nazmus Sadat, were accused in the FIR.
Names of Istiak Ahammed Munna, Amit Saha, Md Mizanur Rahman alias Mizan, Shamsul Arefin Rafat and SM Mahmud Setu came in the investigation, while Morsheduzzaman Jisan, Ehteshamul Rabbi Tanim, Morshed Amatya Islam and Mostaba Rafid are yet to be arrested.
Dhaka Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Qaisarul Islam set November 18 to submit the probe report in the case.
DMP additional commissioner Monirul Islam at a press conference marking the filing of the charge sheet, disclosed that the 11 accused directly took part in the murder. Other 14 accused played roles in the crime one way or another. Responding to a question, he said, among the 21 arrested accused, eight have already given confessional statements before the court.
The body of Abrar was found on first-floor stairs of Sher-e-Bangla Hall on the early October 7. Later, he was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where doctors officially declared him dead at around 6.30 am . Abrar’s father filed the case with Chawkbazar Police Station against 19 persons. Monirul said “We have submitted an objective charge sheet. No single reason was found as a motive behind the killing”.
The killers used to torture students if they did not greet them with salam or smile, he continued. They also made some junior students work as their orderlies. The suspects also used their political identity as a shelter, Monirul said. He further said hall and university authorities could have been a little more careful.
“We still think that the hall authorities have showed some lax behaviour,” Monirul added. “We found in the investigation that they started torturing Abrar sometime around 10:00pm and doctor declared him dead around 3:00am,” Monirul added. Abrar Fahad's brother, Abrar Fayaz in an instant reaction, thanked the police for quick submission of the charge sheet in the case. He hoped that the absconding four accused would be arrested soon.
Claiming that the incident was occurred due to the negligence of BUET authority, he urged them to take initiative so for stopping recurrence of such incident in future. Barkatullah, Abrar's father, also expressed his satisfaction for quick submission of the charge sheet.
He opined that it must be ensured so that all accused are kept inside jail till announcing the verdict. He also demanded trial of the case under speedy tribunal as per commitment of the government high ups.
Abrar's mother Rokeya Begum became very emotional after getting the news of charge sheet submission. She told local journalists that she wants all accused, both involved directly and indirectly to be hanged. In the latest development, Law Minister Anisul Huq said the government will take necessary steps so that the trial of Buet student Abrar murder case is held under the Speedy Trial Tribunal Act.
“I will talk to the home ministry for taking necessary steps for holding the trial of Abrar murder case under Speedy Trial Tribunal Act 2008. As per this act, the trial of a case will be finished within maximum 135 days,” he said while talking to the reporters at his secretariat office.
The law minister said he has kept a prosecution team ready for moving the Abrar murder case quickly as he had said earlier.
He also said there are some formalities for starting trial proceeding of a case under the Speedy Trial Tribunal Act. The trial court is supposed to order the fugitive accused of the case to surrender before it within a particular period. If the fugitive accused do not surrender to the court, their trial will be held in absentia, said Anisul Huq, also a criminal law expert by profession.
The law minister also said that an advertisement will be published in the newspapers for holding the trial of the absconding accused.
He came up with the comment after detectives pressed charges against 25 BUET students in the murder case.