Avijit murder: Testimony deferred in absence of witnesses

A Dhaka court on Wednesday fixed January 13 for the testimony in a case filed over the murder of writer and blogger Avijit Roy. 

The case was scheduled to testify in the court of Judge Mojibur Rahman of the Special Anti-Terrorism Tribunal in Dhaka.

The state prayed time petition as no witness appeared before the court and the court granted the application and fixed the new date.

According to the case statement, blogger and writer Avijit Roy was hacked and injured by terrorists near Suhrawardy Udyan in the TSC area of Dhaka University on February 26, 2015 at around 9:15pm.

He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where he died at around 10:30pm

On February 26, Avijit’s father, prominent educationist Ajay Roy, filed a murder case with the Shahbagh police station.

On March 13, 2019, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarafuzzaman Ansari filed a charge sheet against the six in the court. Total 34 people were made witnesses in the case

On April 11, 2019, Dhaka Special Anti-Terrorism Tribunal Judge Majibur Rahman accepted the charge sheet against the six accused.

On August 1, the judge of the special anti-terrorism tribunal in Dhaka ordered to start the trial by forming charges against the accused.

The accused in the case are – Maj (dismissed) Syed Mohammad Ziaul Haque alias Zia, Mozammel Hussain alias Simon (organizational name Shahriar), Abu Siddique Sohail alias Shakib alias Sajid alias Shahab, Akram Hossain alias Abir, Md Arafat Rahman and Shafiur Rahman Farabi.

All of them are leaders of banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT).