United News of Bangladesh

Seven years after the killing of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) student Abrar Fahad, his elderly parents are still waiting to see the execution of the verdict in the case. A Dhaka court in December 2021 sentenced 20 people to death and five others to life imprisonment in the sensational murder case that sparked huge outcry across the coutnry. The High Court upheld the sentences on March 16, 2025. However, the judicial process has not yet reached its final stage as appeals against the High Court verdict remain pending before the Appellate Division. Abrar’s family said although verdicts have been delivered at two levels of the judiciary, their wait for the case to reach its conclusion continues. Abrar’s younger brother Abrar Faiyaz said the killing had a profound impact not only on their family but also on the country’s political and social landscape. “Fascism’s exit began with Abrar Fahad’s murder. But the trial of those responsible for the killing that contributed to the change in Bangladesh’s political scenario is still unfinished,” he told over the phone. He said his family contacted the relevant authorities after the High Court verdict in March 2025, but were told that cases are being dealt with according to their serial numbers. “Cases can be taken up earlier in the serial. But they are hesitant to bring this case forward. We have contacted everyone we needed to. Now there is nothing left for us to do but wait,” he said. “We do not know what is preventing the execution of the verdict. At this point, it feels like nothing but neglect,” Faiyaz said. Abrar’s father, Md Barkat Ullah, also expressed frustration over the delay. “Execution of the verdict against Abrar’s killers is not only my family’s demand; it is the demand of people across Bangladesh. Yet the sentences are not being carried out. I am not the only one disappointed by this — everyone in the country is,” he said over the phone. “We still have not received complete justice. I appeal to the government to complete the judicial process as soon as possible,” he said. Barkat Ullah said the family never imagined that their son, a student of one of the country’s premier educational institutions, would be brutally killed in such a manner. National Citizens Party (NCP) Kushtia district member secretary Sultan Mahmud Talha said the authorities should take steps to execute the court verdict. “The movement against fascism began with Abrar Fahad’s killing. That system has since been removed, and successive governments are benefiting from the circumstances created by his killing. They should ensure the execution of the sentences,” he said. Abrar, a student of the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department at BUET, was beaten to death at Sher-e-Bangla Hall on the night of Oct 6, 2019. His father filed a murder case with Chawkbazar Police Station. After investigation, police submitted a charge sheet against 25 BUET students on Nov 13, 2019. After more than two years of trial, a Dhaka court sentenced 20 accused to death and five to life imprisonment on Dec 8, 2021. The High Court later upheld the sentences after hearing the death references and appeals filed by the convicts. The killing sparked widespread protests and public outrage and prompted renewed debate over student politics, political influence on campuses and violence in residential halls.

It has been five years since Abrar Fahad, a second-year student of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), was brutally murdered by a group of Bangladesh Chhatra League(BCL) leaders and activists inside the Sher-e-Bangla Hall of the university. Today, October 7, 2024, marks the fifth anniversary of his death, and the pain and brutality of the killing still haunts his family, especially his mother, Rokeya Khatun. At her home near PTI Road in Kushtia Rrokey, Rokey recalled the fateful day with tear-filled eyes. "On this day, I left my son in a bus in the morning. He reached Buet by the afternoon. That night, the Chhatra League men tortured and killed him. Some of them were his friends, yet no one informed me of his death," she said in a chocked voice. Abrar's father, Barkat Ullah, is currently in Dhaka for attending events at Buet to commemorate his son’s death anniversary. His younger brother is Abrar Faiyaz, a second-year student of Mechanical Engineering at Buet. Inside their modest home, Rokeya has preserved her son's belongings with great care. "These are his laptop and mobile phones. I have kept them safe, even after all these years," she shared, showing them to the UNB reporter. She has also kept Abrar’s wristwatch, books, clothes, and even chocolates that he used to sleep with. "He would have been working today if he were alive. Whenever I think of how he was killed, I shudder," she added. Abrar was known for his patriotism and concern for the country's well-being, she said adding how his social media posts criticising a government agreement with India turned him into an enemy of some, even though he was not involved in politics. "He was killed for thinking about the country. Why didn’t his friends who killed him care about the country’s welfare?" Rokeya asked. The High Court sentenced the 20 of the 25 accused students to death in Abrar murder case, but some remain fugitives. BUET student Abrar murder: Tk 10cr compensation sought for his family Rokeya demanded their immediate arrest and the swift execution of the sentences. Last night, Abrar’s younger brother, Faiyaz, shared an emotional post on Facebook, recalling the tragic events. He wrote about the last time their mother left Abrar in a bus to Dhaka, just hours before he was taken and tortured. "Within 13-14 hours, he was taken and subjected to cruel torture. And 20 hours later, we got the news of his death," Faiyaz wrote, sharing his enduring sorrow. Abrar’s father also demanded the immediate arrest of the absconding convicts. While no major event was held in Kushtia to mark the day, Rokeya Khatun visited her son's grave in Koya, Kumarkhali upazila.

Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) has decided to christen its only female residential dormitory Sabequn Nahar Sony Hall. Sabequn Nahar Sony was a second-year chemical engineering student of BUET. She was killed in crossfire of a gunfight between two factions of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student wing of then ruling BNP, on June 8, 2002. Read:After 18 month closure, BUET dorms to reopen Nov 10 This decision was taken at the 526th meeting of the university's Syndicate on November 3, Dr Md Forkan Uddin, registrar of the university, said in a statement. Dr Mizanur Rahman, director of student welfare of the university, told UNB that the female dorm was named after Sabequn Nahar Sony, following a demand from the students. Besides, another under-construction residential hall for the female students of the university has been named after Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib.

A number of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) students are worried as the university authority has decided to take the term-final examinations of its undergraduate students online this year. The students said final exams online cannot be a good option as most students reside in rural areas and face frequent electricity disruption and also a big portion of students haven't got enough logistical support to sit in final exams. Read: Buet students threaten class boycott if Abrar murder accused continues classes The decision of holding the exam online came from the academic council meeting of the university held on July 28. The exams will be taken through LMS and virtual meeting software (Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Moodle) and students will be provided letter grade based on both term-final examination and continuous assessment. The duration of each exam will be two hours and students will have to submit their answer sheets online through LMS software within 15 minutes of the end of the exam. Read Challenges of 4IR: DCCI, BUET ink MoC Exams will be taken, forming a group of up to 35 students for each test room (online meeting app) and two teachers will act as invigilators for each group or team. Students were asked to use two devices during the exam: one device for video monitoring and another to be used for exam purposes. Students will have to open cameras during the examination. Talking to UNB, students said most of them cannot manage two devices for exams and Internet connection disruption is a key barrier to sit online exams. Read: Abrar Fahad murder: Expelled Buet student joins online class after obtaining stay order The authorities should consider offline exams after ensuring speedy vaccination of all students, they demanded.

No university of Bangladesh – neither public nor private -- has found any place at the top level of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University ranking of 2022. The positions of Dhaka University (DU) and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) remained unchanged at 801-1000, a very abysmal show at the global stage. Read: Barishal University: 82, inc. 40 teachers, earn promotions Besides, Bangladesh’s two top private universities -- Brac University and North South University – have got their places at 1001-1200. QS does not assign specific positions for universities rated below 500. But the universities in India and Pakistan have greatly outclassed those in Bangladesh as eight Indian and three Pakistani universities found their positions in the top 500. Read: University students to be vaccinated for reopening dorms: UGC Twenty-six Asian universities were named in the global top 100 in the latest ranking like the previous year. Two universities of Singapore – the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University – are there at the 11th and 12th spots respectively in the global ranking. Read:The contenders to be the next VC of Rajshahi University Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT) earned the top spot for the 10th consecutive time. It was followed by the University of Oxford, Stanford University, University of Cambridge, and Harvard University, in the top five. QS evaluates 1,300 universities across the world according to six metrics: Academic Reputation, Employer Reputation, Faculty/Student Ratio, Citations per faculty, International Faculty Ratio, and International Student Ratio.

 

The authorities of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) on Wednesday decided not to join the integrated admission test of public universities which is expected to begin from the 2020-21 academic session.