A Bangladesh court on Wednesday sentenced 20 people to death in connection with the murder of a 2019 student who criticized the government on social media, the attorney general told AFP.
“Twenty people were sentenced to death and five others to life imprisonment in the case of the murder of Abrar Fahd,” Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu said.
Abrar Fahad, 21, was found dead in his room in the student dormitory at the University of Engineering and Technology in Dhaka in October 2019.
Barakatallah, father of Abrar Fahd, told reporters in front of the court after the verdict: “I am happy with the verdict. I hope the sanctions will be implemented soon.”
Hours before his murder, the young man posted on Facebook criticism of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who had just signed a water agreement with India.
Fahd was beaten with cricket batons and other sharp objects for six hours by 25 of his colleagues in the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the university branch of the ruling Awami League party.