A Dhaka court on Sunday asked the defence counsels for the 22 accused in the case over the murder of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) student Abrar Fahad to submit a High Court order on the transfer of the tribunal by December 22.
Judge Abu Zafar Md Kamruzzaman of Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal 1 passed the order after a hearing on no-confidence petitions filed by the defence counsels. At the hearing, the defence counsels had petitioned for more time.
The defence filed the no-confidence petitions against the judge in the case on Thursday, December 3. According to the petitions, witness depositions in the case were illegally recorded for a second time.
Abrar, a second-year student of the electrical and electronic engineering department of Buet, died after he was brutally beaten by some Chhatra League men at Sher-e-Bangla hall of the university in the early hours of October 7 last year.
The victim’s father Barkatullah filed a case over the murder with Chawkbazar police station in Dhaka, against 19 Buet students.
The killing triggered a firestorm of protests on campuses across the country. Amid the protests, Buet authorities on October 11 banned all political activities on the campus and suspended 19 students accused in the Abrar murder case.
On November 13 last year, the Detective Branch of police submitted a charge sheet against 25 Buet students in the case. Among them, 22 accused are now in jail and three have been absconding since the incident took place.
