Bangla court upholds death sentences for 20 students

A court in Bangladesh upheld on Sunday death sentences of 20 former university students convicted of murdering a fellow student in 2019 who had criticised the country's former government on social media.

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Abrar Fahad, 21, a student at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), was killed hours after publishing a Facebook post that criticised the then government of Sheikh Hasina for signing a water-sharing treaty with India.

Fahad was beaten for nearly six hours with cricket bats by a group of 25 students, all members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of former prime minister’s political party, the Awami League.

The student wing was accused of creating a reign of terror on university campuses before Hasina was ousted last year following a student-led uprising.

"I am satisfied. I hope the legal procedures will be completed soon, and justice will be served," Fahad’s father, Barkat Ullah, told reporters after the verdict was announced by the court on Sunday. "I don't want to blame the parents who sent their sons to the top university, but they got involved in bad politics. I would urge others to stay away from harmful activities," he added.

Fahad's killing sparked nationwide protests, forcing Hasina to pledge the highest punishment for the perpetrators.