Abrar Murder Case: Submit HC order on no-confidence by Dec 22

A Dhaka tribunal yesterday asked defence lawyers for twenty-two accused in the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) student Abrar Fahad murder case, now in jail, to submit the High Court order regarding its transfer by December 22.

After hearing on the petition submitted by the defence, Judge Abu Zafar Md Kamruzzaman of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 of Dhaka passed the order.

Earlier on December 6, the defence on behalf of their clients brought a plea of no-confidence in the judge of the tribunal.

The tribunal, however, set yesterday [December 6] for hearing on the matter.

The defence lawyers for the accused submitted a petition saying that the judge recorded statements of the prosecution witnesses in accordance with the law, but did not record their statements properly while cross-examining the witnesses.

So they apprehended that they would not get justice from the tribunal, defence lawyers also stated in their petition. They will submit an application with the High Court for transfer of the case, they added.

The prosecution opposed it, saying that the defence submitted such petition only to hamper the trial of the case.

The same tribunal on September 15 framed charges against all 25 accused in the case.

Forty out of 60 prosecution witnesses, including complainant of the case, have so far given depositions in the case.

On October 7 last year, Abrar, a second-year student of Buet, was beaten to death by a group of Buet unit Chhatra League men in a dormitory.

Abrar's father Barkatullah filed a murder case in this regard on October 7 with Chawkbazar Police Station.

The incident triggered a firestorm of protests on campuses across the country. Many took to social media to demand justice for Abrar.

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 who were made accused in the murder case.

Eight of the accused gave their confessional statements before separate magistrates narrating the horrifying torture during investigation on different dates last year.

Inspector Md Wahiduzaman of Detective Branch of police submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Dhaka against 25 Buet students on November 13 last year.

Of them, 22 accused were earlier arrested and they were remanded several times. During the investigation, eight of the accused gave confessional statements to magistrates on different dates.

Three other accused -- Mustaba Rafid, Muhammad Morshed-Uz-Zaman Mondol alias Jishan and Ehtashamul Rabbi Tanim have been absconding since the incident.