Buet students threaten class boycott if Abrar murder accused continues classes

Buet students formed a human chain yesterday protesting Ashikul Islam Bitu joining online classes despite his expulsion in 2019 for his alleged involvement in the killing of Abrar Fahad.

The protestors threatened to boycott classes from May 30 if Ashikul continues to participate in online classes.

"We'll intensify our movement if the university does not take proper action over the matter," the protesters said in a written statement.

Ashikul, who was expelled, reportedly joined an online class of the chemical engineering department last Saturday with a "stay order" from the court.

After noticing him in the class, his classmates protested by changing their Zoom profile picture with a text which read "No class sharing with a murderer". They urged the university authorities to cancel his course registration and threatened to boycott academic activities otherwise.

Buet authorities expelled 26 students including Ashikul permanently on Nov 22, 2019 for their alleged involvement in Abrar's murder. However, Ashikul was not named in the police charge sheet and recently secured a "stay order" from the court against his expulsion.

Ashikul told UNB on May 25 that he had not been named in the charge sheet.

"Buet expelled me for not helping in the investigation process. Recently, I got a stay order from the court against my expulsion and returned to class maintaining all procedures. But I won't join further classes in this situation," he said.

Abrar, a second-year student of the electrical and electronic engineering department, died after he was beaten allegedly by some Chhatra League men at the Sher-e-Bangla Hall of the university in the early hours of October 7, 2019.