For the third consecutive day, agitated students from public and private educational institutions took to the streets across the country staging demonstration and demanding justice for the killing of Abrar Fahad, a 21-year old student of Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology (BUET).
Hundreds of students took to the streets at Dhaka University, the engineering university and other major educational institutions in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country throughout the day. They formed human chain, held rallies and blocked roads protesting the killing of the student, demanding immediate arrest of the fugitive accused apart from ensuring trial and punishment to all killers.
Abrar, a second year student of electrical and electronic engineering department of the university, was allegedly beaten to death by over dozen of activists of BUET unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on Monday night. Abrar's father Barkat Ullah filed a murder case against 19 people with Chawkbazar police station on Monday evening.
As a mother, I want Abrar killers to be punished: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said as a mother, she wanted Abrar killers be punished. She said this when a group of Chhatra League leaders met her at Ganabhaban on Tuesday night.
BUET students declare 10-point demand
The students of BUET declared a strike placing a 10-point demand in protest of the killing, announcing that they would continue to abstain from all academic activities and gave the university authorities an ultimatum to meet their demands by 5pm on Friday next.
Their demand includes withdrawal of Sher-E-Bangla Hall provost Md Shahinur Islam by Oct 11. The students also said they would boycott the upcoming BUET entrance examinations scheduled for Oct 14 and continue the protest until the charge sheet is filed.
Termination of agreement with India demanded
Hundreds of students of Dhaka University on Wednesday noon staged demonstration on the campus, holding black flags at hands and demanding capital punishment to the killers of BUET student Abrar Fahad. They also demanded termination of agreements between Bangladesh and India, signed last week during PM Sheikh Hasina’s India visit.
The students brought out a procession from in front of Raju sculpture on the campus. The procession after parading the streets of DU went to BUET through Fuller Road.
Sher-e-Bangla Hall provost resigns
Meanwhile, Jafar Iqbal Khan, the provost of Buet’s Sher-e-Bangla Hall, reportedly tendered his resignation on Wednesday noon. “The provost has resigned,” Buet Teachers' Association President Dr AKM Masud told students after a teachers’ meeting.
BUET alumni demands VC’s resignation
Amid widespread protests over Abrar’s killing, the BUET Alumni association on Wednesday demanded the resignation of the vice-chancellor. In a statement, the alumni association also demanded overhauling the administrative body. They raised seven demands, including justice for Abrar and punishment of the killers.
Other demands include – forming a special tribunal to ensure punishment within a short time, permanent expulsion of the killers from Buet, banning student politics at Buet, resignation of VC and reformation of administrative body, and ensuring security for students. Meanwhile, BUET teachers association extended their support with protesters while Dhaka University Teachers Association demanded punishment of the culprits.
Students of seven colleges affiliated with Dhaka University formed a human chain in front of Dhaka College seeking justice for Abrar. Students of Jahangirnagar University on Wednesday blockade the Dhaka-Aricha highway adjacent to the main gate of the university from 1:30pm to 2:30pm protesting at the killing, reported New Age JU correspondent.
Students of Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology in Gazipur staged protests and formed human chain demanding punishment of the killers. Chittagong University students, student of different educational institute of Brahmanbaria and Sylhet also formed human chain protesting at the murder.
In Mymensingh, Progressive Students Alliance hold protest rally at city’s Jahangir-Firoj Chhatar protesting the killing, reported our Mymensingh correspondent. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh secretary general Nur Hossain Kasemi in a statement demanded punishment of Abrar’s killers. Agitated locals of Abrar’s hometown Kushtia also staged demonstration.
