Dhaka, Oct 09 – Amidst the continuing agitation of the students of Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology (BUET), Muhammad Zafar Iqbal Khan, the provost of Sher-e-Bangla Hall resigned on Wednesday. Abrar Fahad, the 21 year old second year student was brutally beaten down to death allegedly inside the room-2011 of the hall in the hand of Chatra League.
The gruesome murder has sparked widespread outrage among students of different public universities who have taken to the streets demanding punishment of the killers for three consecutive days.
The protesting students revised their eight-point demand, placed on Tuesday night, and put forward a 10-point demand, including the withdrawal of Sher-E-Bangla Hall provost Md Zafar Iqbal Khan.
The protestors also gave the authorities an ultimatum of seven days to ban all activities of political student bodies.
Pledging support to the agitating students, BUET Alumni Association demanded resignation of the vice chancellor and an overhauling of the administration at the earliest.
The seven-point demand was announced by President of Buet Alumni Association Professor Jamilur Reza Chowdhury on Buet campus following a procession and rally by the alumni.
The demands included speedy trial of the killers under a special tribunal, and expulsion of the killers from BUET.
Their other demands included banning the activities of all political party associated student bodies, teachers and employees, ensuring the personal security of all students in the campus by banning torturing students under the guise of ragging and ensuring justice for all those who became victims of student politics without any delay
BUET Teachers’ Association Meanwhile banned teacher politics at the university.
The association’s president Dr AKM Masud made the announcement while addressing demonstrating students, at BUET campus intersection yesterday.
“We have come to a decision to ban teacher politics at the university. Student politics will also be banned soon,” he told the protesters.
He also said the decision was taken at the association’s emergency meeting held at 10am in the morning.
Md Barkatullah, Abrar’s father, meanwhile wailed and pleaded to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to punish the perpetrators, who brutally killed his son.
He said that to reporters at the end of the dua mahfil held for Abrar’s departed soul in front of the Zilla School at Abrar’s hometown in Kushtia.
Barkatullah said that he is happy with the advancement of the case so far, but he wants the criminals to be hanged.
Three more BUET students were placed on a five-day remand each yesterday in connection with the murder of Abrar.
The three accused are: Moniruzzaman Monir, 21, a third-year student of the university’s water resources engineering department; Akash Hossain, 21, a third-year student of civil engineering department; and Shamsul Arefin Rafat, 21, second year student of mechanical engineering department.
Metropolitan Magistrate Tofazzal Hossain passed the remand order when DB Inspector Wahiduzzaman, also the investigation officer of the case, produced the trio before the court with a 10-day remand prayer.
During the hearing, Monir and Akash denied the allegations against them saying that they were not present at the room of Sher-e-Bangla hall when Abrar was killed there. They went there later on.
A total of 13 students of the university were arrested in connection with the case filed by Abrar’s father over the murder. The rest of the 10 members of Buet unit BCL are also placed on five-day remand yesterday. – Staff Reporter
