The High Court on Tuesday issued a directive to the interim government, asking why it should not be ordered to pay Tk 10 crore in compensation to the parents of Abrar Fahad, a Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology student who was killed in 2019 by members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the ousted Awami League.

The bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Muhammad Mahbub Ul Islam issued the order following a writ petition filed in the public interest by Supreme Court lawyer Shahin Alam.

The petition challenged the alleged inaction and failure of both government authorities and the BUET administration to protect Abrar’s life.

Abrar Fahad was brutally beaten to death on October 7, 2019, allegedly in response to his Facebook posts criticising the government’s agreements with India.

On December 8, 2021, the Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 sentenced 20 of the 25 accused to death.

All of the accused were BUET students and were affiliated with the Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling Awami League.

The death references of the 20 condemned convicts and their appeals are currently pending before the High Court.

The High Court also asked the government and BUET authorities to explain why their failure and inaction, which allegedly led to Abrar’s death, should not be declared illegal.

The court directed the cabinet secretary, along with the secretaries of the ministries of home, law, and education, as well as the vice-chancellor of BUET, to respond to the rule within four weeks.

Deputy attorney general Redwan Ahmed Ranjib and assistant attorney general Muzahedul Islam Shahin represented the state.