Remembering Abrar Fahad: The Night That Shook a Nation

Abrar Fahad, a student at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), was brutally beaten to death by leaders and activists of the now-banned Chhatra League inside his dormitory. On the sixth anniversary of that tragic night, journalist Asif Howlader, who was among the first reporters at the scene, recounts what he witnessed.

A Night That Turned into a Nightmare

Back in 2019, I was in my third year at Dhaka University, working as a campus correspondent for a national daily. My nights often ended with late chats around Nilkhet, Dhaka Medical College, or the High Court tea stalls — that October 6 night was no different.

Around 3:30 a.m., I got a call from a fellow student leader. He said one of his BUET batchmates, terrified and shaken, had told him that a student had been beaten to death inside Sher-e-Bangla Hall. Though he claimed not to be involved, he didn’t know what to do next.

Since BUET didn’t have its own campus reporters, Dhaka University journalists like me usually covered their stories. Hearing the word murder made my blood run cold. I immediately left my dorm, heading toward BUET.

At Sher-e-Bangla Hall

When I arrived, the hall gates were locked from inside. I could hear muffled voices of students but saw no one outside. I might have been the first journalist at the scene. Unsure whether to enter, I called a few fellow reporters, but most were asleep. Within minutes, some of them joined me.

Soon, police officers and more students began arriving. Through phone calls, I learned that a BUET student named Abrar Fahad had been tortured overnight by his hall mates.

By 5:30 a.m., the police entered Sher-e-Bangla Hall — we followed. The guards said the student’s body had been kept inside the canteen. When I stepped in, I froze. Abrar lay lifeless on the floor, wearing trousers and a shirt. The marks of a brutal beating were visible all over his body.

A Hall Wrapped in Silence

A nearby student spoke to me calmly, insisting that “nothing unusual happened” around his room that night. Later, it was revealed that he himself had participated in the assault.

Other students described how, around 8:00 p.m., Abrar and several second-year classmates had been summoned to room 2011 by third-year leaders of BUET Chhatra League. They checked his phone for any political affiliations, accused him of having ties to the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, and began beating him with cricket stumps.

Later that night, more senior activists joined and continued the assault — until Abrar died. His body was reportedly moved to the stairwell.

What Followed

By morning, the BUET campus was in turmoil. Students surrounded the hall provost’s office, demanding access to CCTV footage. The police began detaining suspects one by one.

The following day, protests erupted across universities. Many learned that Abrar’s final Facebook post had criticized recent Bangladesh–India agreements, including allowing India to use Mongla Port and import gas — posts that apparently angered the attackers.

Inside room 2011, where the murder took place, cigarette filters and scattered belongings still lay on the floor when we entered around 7:45 a.m. The ceiling fan spun slowly in the heavy silence.

Six Years Later

Abrar’s brother Abrar Faiyaz says the family still waits for closure:

> “Six years have passed. We just want the appeals process to move forward with urgency. How much longer must we wait for justice?”

The High Court later upheld the death sentences of 20 accused and life imprisonment for 5 others. The BUET community, however, continues to commemorate the tragedy every October — as a stark reminder of what unchecked campus violence can destroy.