Abrar murder: BUET students boycott classes to protest Bitu’s return

DU Correspondent :
The students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) on Wednesday boycotted classes and all kinds of academic activities as Ashikul Islam Bitu who was found guilty by BUET authority for ragging and uncooperative manner during Abrar Fahad’s murder investigation attended a class.

Following Bitu’s joining the class, BUET students gathered in front of the administration building and staged demonstration for around three hours demanding cancellation of Bitu’s registration with the university.

During the protests, the students chanted the slogans ‘We wont allow Abrar’s blood to go in vain’.”If Bitu attends class, we won’t return class,” the students said.

Mainwhile, on October 7 of 2019, Abrar Fahad, a second-year student of electrical and electronics engineering (EEE) department of BUET, died after being brutally beaten by Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists at Sher-e-Bangla hall of the university.

The incident however triggered a firestorm of protests on campuses across the country.

In the wake of this situation, the BUET authorities on October 11 banned all political activities on the campus.

Later, on November 21 the authorities expelled 25 students including Ashikul Islam Bitu from the university in connection with the murder case.

However, Bitu’s name was not included in the chargesheet.

After being expelled from BUET, on may 22, 2021, Bitu attended an online class with 17th batch of Chemical Engineering but he couldn’t continue it as the general student protested.

But again on August 6 of this year, Bitu attend an in-person class with 19th batch of chemical engineering department of BUET and the students again started protesting it.

The general students of BUET have taken oath against student politics for ensuring a safe and learning friendly campus where they said that they are in a strong and clear position against any kind of student politics on the campus.