Staff Reporter:
Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain has said Abrar Fahad was the first martyr of the movement against Indian expansionism and domestic autocracy.
“Abrar is not just a name; he was a frontline soldier in our fight against aggression. His death served as the prelude to the July-August Revolution. Inspired by the memory of Abrar Fahad, the youth of this country were energised,” he said.
“During the July-August uprising, our young revolutionaries sacrificed their lives, and we successfully overthrew Sheikh Hasina, the pillar of Indian expansionism in our country.”
Asif Mahmud, also the local government, rural development and cooperatives adviser, made these remarks on Thursday at the inauguration ceremony of the Shaheed Abrar Fahad Stadium in Kushtia.
Abrar, a student of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, was brutally beaten to death inside his hall of residence on 7 October 2019 by leaders of the university Chhatra League unit after he posted comments on Facebook, criticising Bangladesh’s agreements with India. His murder sparked nationwide and international outrage.
Mentioning that Abrar was martyred for writing against Indian aggression, Adviser Asif described him as an inspiration for the long-standing anti-fascist movement.
“He was martyred but left behind a new model for the anti-autocracy struggle. His sacrifice remained our source of inspiration in the battles that followed,” he said.
“After Abrar’s death, a memorial arch was constructed in Dhaka’s Palashi to his honour, but the police of the fascist Hasina government demolished it. On Abrar’s second death anniversary, a memorial gathering was organised at Dhaka University, but the Chhatra League attacked it. That day, our twenty-four activists were injured and handed over to the police. Cases were filed against us, and we spent a long time in prison,” the adviser added.
He said the fascist government did not allow any events to be held in Abrar Fahad’s memory and attempted to erase his name from history.
Originally established in 1979, the Kushtia stadium underwent a Tk40 crore renovation, transforming it into a modern sports venue.
In 2020, it was named “Sheikh Kamal Stadium.” However, after the brutal killing of BUET student Abrar Fahad, demands arose to rename the under-construction stadium in his honour.
Eventually, in November last year, the government officially renamed it “Shaheed Abrar Fahad Stadium.”
The event was attended by Sports Secretary Rezaul Maksud Jahedi Jahedi, Kushtia Superintendent of Police Mizanur Rahman, and Abrar Fahad’s father Barkatullah.
Kushtia Deputy Commissioner Md Toufikur Rahman presided over the ceremony.
Earlier in the morning, Asif Mahmud paid respect to Abrar by visiting his grave at Koya Raydanga village in Kumarkhali upazila.
Later, he inaugurated the expansion work of the Shaheed Abrar Fahad Jame Mosque.
