DHAKA: A court in Bangladesh upheld on Sunday death sentences of 20 former university students convicted of murdering a fellow student in 2019 who had criticised the country`s former government on social media.

Abrar Fahad, 21, a student at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), was killed hours after publishing a Facebook post that criticised the then government of Sheikh Hasina for signing a water-sharing treaty with India.

Fahad was beaten for nearly six hours withcricketbatsby a group of 25 students, all members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of former prime minister`s political party, the Awami League.

The student wing was accused of creating a reign of terror on university campuses before Hasina was ousted last year following a studentled uprising.

`I am satisfied. I hope the legal procedures will be completed soon, and justice will be served, Fahad`s father, Barkat Ullah, told reporters after the verdict was announced by the court on Sunday.

`I don`t want to blamethe parents who sent their sons to the top university, but they got involved in bad politics. I would urge others to stay away from harmful activities,` he added.

Fahad`s killing sparked nationwide protests, foreing Hasina to pledge the highest punishment for the perpetrators. Due legal process will be followed to implement the verdict, Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman told reporters.

`The High Court upheld the lower court verdict that handed down deathsentencesto20 and life imprisonment to five,` Asaduzzaman said.

`The convicts will beallowed to appeal against the verdict and will have all the rights ensured by the court.` Syed Mizanur Rahman, one of the group`s defence lawyers, said, `We will appeal against the verdict.` Of the 20 sentenced to death, four are still on the run.

One of them, Muntasir Al Jamie, who was convicted in Faha`s murder, broke through the prison wall of a high security jail on August 6.

Death sentences are common in Bangladesh, with hundreds of people currently on death row.

All executions are carried out by hanging, a legacy of British colonial rule.-AFP