Tuesday (October 7) marks the sixth death anniversary of Abrar Fahad, a student of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), who was brutally killed in 2019 by members of the now-banned organization, Chhatra League.
Abrar was a student of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Just before his death, on October 5, 2019, he made a Facebook post criticizing several "unjust agreements" between Bangladesh and India. In response, he was interrogated and tortured to death inside a university dormitory.
The interim government has declared his death anniversary as a national day. To commemorate the day, a documentary titled “You Failed to Kill Abrar Fahad” will be screened at the Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka at 7 PM. Earlier, the government posthumously awarded Abrar the country`s highest civilian honor, the Independence Award.
Various political and social organizations have announced day-long events to remember Abrar Fahad.
At 3 PM, the Abrar Fahad Memorial Society will inaugurate the Anti-Aggression Eight Pillars monument at Palashi intersection in Dhaka. Abrar`s father, Barkat Ullah, will be present at the event, along with the member secretary of the National Citizens` Party and other initiators of the project.
Additionally, at 11 AM, the Dhaka University Central Students` Union (DUCSU) will organize a seminar and art exhibition titled “Indian Hegemony and Bangladesh’s Sovereignty: In Memory of Abrar Fahad.” Abrar’s father will inaugurate the event. Notable speakers include journalist Dr. Mahmudur Rahman, BNP National Executive Committee member Hummam Quader Chowdhury, Vice-Chancellor of Manarat International University Dr. Mohammad Abdur Rob, and Akhtar Hossain.
At 2:30 PM, student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal will host a discussion titled “From Expression to Execution: Rise and Resistance of Fascism in Educational Institutions,” with BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed attending as the chief guest.
Later in the day, at 4 PM, Inqilab Mancha will organize a prayer session titled “Prayer for Liberation on the Martyrdom Anniversary of Abrar Fahad and National Anti-Aggression Day.” The platform’s spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi will lead the session.
The day serves as a reminder of the dangers faced by students who speak out, and the ongoing demand for justice and sovereignty in Bangladesh.