Describing the murder of the university student inside a dormitory as extremely cruel, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has assured to inflict the maximum punishment on the perpetrators.
Her remarks come after a group of students beaten Abrar Fahad, a second-year student of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), to death. As many as 13 BUET students have been arrested and all of them belonged to the Bangladesh Chhatra League, a student body allied with the ruling Awami League.
Addressing a media call on Wednesday (Oct 9) meant to brief on her recent visits to the US and India, Hasina said she will soon order law enforces to launch a crackdown on illicit activities in universities and other educational institutions across the country.
“Beating somebody to death is extremely inhuman. I can feel the pain of the parents who lost their child,” she told the press conference at her official residence the Ganabhaban.
The prime minister, however, questioned the continued protests by BUET students amid the administration taking actions against the perpetrators. “Why this movement? Justice will be served.”
The Awami League chief made it clear that political affiliation of an individual has nothing to do with the crimes he or she committed.
“Immediately after the incident, I spoke to the Chhatra League leadership and ordered to expel them [Abrar murder suspects] as well as instructed the police to make the arrests.
“Chhatra League or not; a criminal is a criminal and will be brought to justice.”
Amid calls from several quarters, including protesting BUET students, to ban student politics on universities, Hasina said she was not personally in favour of it, but the universities are free to take their own decision.
“Every university has its own committee and they will take the decision. The government will not interfere,” she said.
The prime minister, however, said Abrar’s murder was not part of student politics and that the real reason behind it needs to be unearthed.
FENI RIVER WATER SHARING
Bangladesh will only supply a small volume of water from Feni River to the Sabroom town in India’s Tripura, said the prime minister.
"It’s an international river, and both Bangladesh and India have rights to it.
"There is a shortage of drinking water in Sabroom. We are giving them a very small volume of water," she told the press conference.
Hasina said she failed to understand the “frustration” over the deal signed during her India visit. "It is inhuman to deny water when someone is asking for it."
Dhaka and New Delhi signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) allowing India to officially withdraw 1.82 cusec of water from the river to supply drinking water to people in the Tripura town of Sabroom.
EXPORTING LPG, NOT LNG TO INDIA
Bangladesh will export liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to India, not liquefied natural gas (LNG) as reported by the media soon after the signing of the deal, said the prime minister
The deal to export of LPG to India amid an ongoing gas crisis in Bangladesh raised a lot of eyebrows.
In response to criticism of the deal, she said, “Everybody should know Sheikh Hasina never compromises on the interests of Bangladesh.”
India signed three pacts deals Bangladesh, including the deal for importing LPG during the prime minister’s New Delhi visits.
Describing LPG as a new addition to the export basket, Hasina said it was not an original product of Bangladesh but a by-product that is imported. "The gas will supply to Tripura is imported; just like any other product we export so there shouldn't be any misunderstanding."
LPG is produced through refining petroleum, and is almost entirely derived from fossil fuel sources, being manufactured during the refining of crude oil.