DHAKA, JUL 24 (V7N) – Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today ordered the preparation of a comprehensive list of individuals killed in attacks by alleged "terrorists" from the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and other affiliated bodies of the Awami League (AL), as well as by state forces under the previous government's orders, in the 15 years preceding the July mass uprising in 2024.

This directive came during a poignant meeting at the State Guest House Jamuna, where Mohammad Barkat Ullah, father of the brutally murdered Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) student Abrar Fahad, met with the Chief Adviser alongside Fahad's younger brother Abrar Fayyaz and maternal uncle Mohammad Mofazzal Hossain.

The family of Abrar Fahad requested a thorough investigation into each incident of politically motivated killing by preparing such a list. Mohammad Barkat Ullah also specifically asked the Chief Adviser to expedite the trial in the Abrar Fahad murder case. Barkat Ullah emotionally recounted that his son was "brutally beaten to death by terrorists because he spoke for the country and its interests, and against the unequal distribution of water (of cross-border rivers)." He added, "His (Fahad) mother still cries for her son. No other mother should have to suffer the pain of losing her child, and no mother's chest should be empty."

The Abrar Fahad murder case has seen significant legal progress, with the High Court recently upholding the death penalty for 20 BUET students and life imprisonment for five others in connection with his killing in 2019.

Beyond justice for Abrar, Barkat Ullah also highlighted a long-standing local issue, requesting the Chief Adviser to initiate the construction of a bridge over the Gorai River in Kushtia, stating that approximately 30,000 people suffer due to its absence.

Abrar Fayyaz, a third-year student of BUET, took the opportunity to advocate for making all educational institutions more student-friendly. He pointed out existing deficiencies, stating, "Our educational institutions are still not student-friendly. There is a shortage of labs, equipment and other facilities required for studies." He expressed high expectations from the interim government to address these issues and also called for strict measures to stop ragging at BUET, emphasizing that "This is not the first incident of harassment in BUET. It had happened before too. The incidents that happened before need to be investigated and tried."

Chief Adviser Professor Yunus acknowledged the profound impact of Abrar Fahad's brutal killing, stating it "stunned the entire nation." He pledged that "A fair trial must be held in this incident." He confirmed that "By preparing a list of those killed in the attacks by Awami League and its organisations' terrorists before the 2024 July mass uprising, each incident will be investigated." Furthermore, he stated that investigations are already "underway into the killings committed using the state forces on the orders of the then government," noting that the interim government has already taken measures in this regard.

The Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of the now-banned Awami League, was officially declared a "terrorist organization" and banned by the interim government in October 2024. The organization has a documented history of involvement in campus violence, including fatalities and severe injuries, particularly during the period under the previous government. The July 2024 mass uprising, which led to the change in government, saw widespread student-led protests that were met with severe force, further highlighting concerns about violence and human rights abuses under the former regime.

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