The death reference in the sensational BUET student Abrar Fahad murder case has reached the High Court (HC) for further proceedings.

Confirming the matter to journalists, Supreme Court Spokesperson Mohammad Saifur Rahman said if any lower court sentences any convict to death, the death reference has to be sent to the High Court for its approval, adding, “So, the relevant documents have reached the High Court from the concerned tribunal.”

Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 on December 8, 2021, sentenced 20 people to death and awarded life imprisonment to another five in the case.

The 20 death-row convicts are- Mehedi Hasan Russel, Anik Sarker Opu, Ifti Mosharraf Sakal, Md Mehedi Hasan Robin, Md Meftahul Islam Jeon, Muntassir Alam Jemmy, Khandaker Tabakkharul Islam Tanvir, Md Muzahidur Rahman, Md Moniruzzaman Monir, Hossain Mohammad Toha, Md Mazedur Rahman Mazed, Shamim Billah, ASM Nazmus Sadat, Md Mizanur Rahman alias Mizan, Shamsul Arefin Rafat, SM Mahmud Setu, Morshed Amatya Islam, Morsheduzzaman Jisan, Mostaba Rafid and Ehteshamul Rabbi Tanim. Of the 20, the last three are yet to be arrested and they were tried in absentia.

The tribunal also sentenced Muhtasim Fuad, Moaj Abu Hurayra, Istiak Ahammed Munna, Amit Saha and Md Akash Hossain to life imprisonment. The court also fined those Taka 50 thousand each, to suffer one year more behind the bars in default.

The tribunal in its observation had said the convicts tortured and subsequently killed Abrar based on the false allegation of being an activist of Shibir (Islami Chhtra Shibir).

“That brutal incident saddened the people of the whole country. The convicts are being given maximum punishments to stop repetition of such heinous incident,” the court said.

A total 46 out of 60 prosecution witnesses testified in the sensational case.

Earlier on November 13, 2019, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court took into cognizance the charge sheet in the case filed by Detective Branch (DB) of police against 25 accused. The case was later transferred to the speedy trial tribunal, allowing a plea of Abrar’s father.

BUET students and the varsity authorities found the seemingly lifeless body of Abrar, 22, on first-floor stairs of Sher-e-Bangla Hall and rushed him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where doctors declared him dead at around 6.30 am on October 7, 2019.

He was brutally beaten to death by a couple of leaders of the then BUET unit of Chhatra League over his posts on Facebook.

Abrar’s father Barkatullah filed the case with Chawkbazar Police Station against 19.