UN envoy summoned for statement over Abrar murder

The government summoned the UN resident coordinator in Bangladesh, Mia Seppo, expressing its disatisfaction over a statement about the murder of BUET student Abrar Fahad.

Director general of the foreign ministry, Nahida Sobhan, summoned her on Sunday and conveyed the government’s disapproval, according to the foreign ministry.

The foreign ministry also summoned UK high commissioner Robert Dickson on 10 October for a statement on the same issue on their Facebook page.

When asked about the issue, a foreign ministry senior official said to Prothom Alo, “The UN resident coordinator was told that the UN office in Dhaka did not act fairly by issuing a statement over Abrar murder.”

“The government did not obstruct freedom of expression in Abrar case. The government has already taken steps. Such a statement is unexpected and unwarranted as the investigation is underway and the trial for the murder has begun.”

The official said this is an interference in internal matters of the country and the ongoing process cannot be hampered by such statments.

According to the statement of the UN resident coordinator's office in Dhaka on 9 October, the UN condemned the killing of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) student for exercising freedom of expression. Many students were killed in Bangladesh university campuses as the accused were not brought to book, the statement added.

The UN Bangladesh office noticed that the authorities had taken steps to arrest the accused, it added.

The statement reads, the investigators will carry out duties professionally and the perpetrators will be brought to book, stopping the recurrence of such incident in future.

Freedom of expression is a human right, the statement said, adding none should be harassed, tortured and killed for exercising freedom of expression.

On 6 October, a group of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leaders and activists allegedly beat Abrar Fahad to death at Sher-e Bangla Hall of BUET. Abrar’s father filed charges against 19 people in connection with the incident. A total of 19 suspected have been arrested.