Abrar Fahad

Abrar Fahad^[a] (12 February 1998 – 7 October 2019) was a Bangladeshi university student who died following a severe torture by members of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the Awami League party. The assault was allegedly motivated by a Facebook post in which he criticized Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s state visit to India.^[1]

Fahad was a second-year student in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). In 2019, after posting a critical status on Facebook about several agreements signed during Sheikh Hasina's visit to India,^[2] a group of leaders from the BUET unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League brutally beat him to death.^[3]

The autopsy report confirmed that Abrar Fahad was beaten to death with blunt objects.^[4] In 2025, he was posthumously awarded the Independence Award, Bangladesh's highest state award given by the government of Bangladesh.^[5][6]

On March 11, 2025, the Shaheed Abrar Fahad Stadium was inaugurated in Kushtia, Bangladesh, honoring the late BUET student Abrar Fahad.^[7][8][9]

Abrar Fahad was born on February 12, 1998, in Kushtia District, Bangladesh. His ancestral home was in Kumarkhali Upazila. His father, Md. Barkat Ullah, orked as an auditor at BRAC, and his mother, Rokeya Khatun, was a kindergarten teacher.^[10]

He completed his primary education at Kushtia Mission Primary School and later studied at Kushtia Zilla School. He passed his Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) from Notre Dame College, Dhaka in the science stream. In 2018, he enrolled at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

Abrar was the eldest of two brothers. His younger brother, Abrar Faiyaz, also later enrolled at BUET.^[2]

Abrar Fahad, a second-year student in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, was murdered in Room 2011 of Sher-e-Bangla Hall. He was a resident of Room 1011 in the same hall. Abrar had visited home 10 days before and planned to stay until October 20. However, with exams approaching, he decided to return to the dormitory to continue his studies.^[11]

On the night of October 6, 2019, Abrar was subjected to brutal torture by a group of Chhatra League leaders and activists inside Sher-e-Bangla Hall at BUET.^[12]

His lifeless body was recovered from the ground floor of Sher-e-Bangla Hall at 3 AM on October 7, 2019. Medical officer Dr. Md. Mashuk Elahi declared him dead at around 3 AM.^[13]

On 2022, Fahad's younger brother, Abrar Faiyaz, cleared the admission test for BUET, the same institute where Abrar was murdered.^[14] He added, "I took the decision upon discussing the matter with my family members".^[15]

In October 2024, a short film titled Room Number 2011 was released, named after the dorm room where he was killed.^[16] Directed by Sheikh Jisan Ahamed, the film was based on the events surrounding his death and the subsequent impact on student politics and free speech.^[17]

Abrar's death also played a part in catalyzing broader political movements in Bangladesh, culminating in what has been referred to as the "July Revolution".^[18] This movement saw mass protests against the government, calling for greater democratic freedoms, transparency, and a pushback against oppressive political practices.^[19]

On the fifth anniversary of Fahad's death, a foundation stone was laid after a memorial meeting organized under the banner of "Abrar Fahad Smriti Sangsad" at Plassey intersection in Dhaka.^[20] Vice-Chancellor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology A. B. M. Badruzzaman inaugurated the foundation stone of the memorial.^[21] They also demanded the government to announce October 7, the day of Abrar's death, as the 'National Anti-Aggression Day'.^[22]

In 2025, The Kushtia Stadium was renamed Shaheed Abrar Fahad Stadium, commemorating him,^[23][24] and the same year, Fahad was awarded the Independence Award, which is the highest civilian honour in Bangladesh posthumously.^[25][26]

In March 2025, Bangabandhu Avenue was renamed Shaheed Abrar Fahad Avenue.^[27][28]

• Violence of Bangladesh Chhatra League

• Media related to Memorials to Abrar Fahad at Wikimedia Commons