Avijit Murder: ‘I am tired’
Prof Ajoy Roy, father of slain writer-blogger Avijit Roy, yesterday told a court that he would not keep appearing for hearings of his son’s murder case.
“I cannot come to the court again and again. I am in old age now,” he said while lawyers cross-examined him.
“I am tired now,” said the 85-year-old man.
During the yesterday’s hearing, he also told a defence lawyer, “Don’t ask me irrelevant questions.”
Talking to The Daily Star earlier in the day, Avijit’s younger brother Anujit Roy said, “Four years have gone, but there is no visible headway in the trial. My father will not come to court anymore. We are quite upset seeing the progress of the trial.”
At around 2:45pm, Prof Ajoy, a former teacher of Dhaka University, who is the plaintiff of the case, gave his statement before acting Judge Jesmin Ara Begum.
He was provided a chair very close to the judge after the prosecutors told the court that Ajoy was not fit to stand in the dock.
After the judge recorded his statement, three defence lawyers cross-examined him.
Prof Ajoy told the court that unidentified assailants hacked his son Avijit from behind while he and his wife Rafida Ahmed Bonya were walking out of the Ekushey Boi Mela on the Dhaka University campus around 8:30pm on February 26, 2015.
Bonya was critically injured when she tried to protect her husband, he added.
“Avijit and Bonya were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment where Avijit died after 10:00pm. Bonya was taken to Square Hospital [later],” he said.
Another prosecution witness Masudur Rahman also gave his statement before the court.
Four accused -- Mozammel Hossain Saymon, Abu Siddiq Sohel, Arafat Rahman Siam and Shafiur Rahman Farabi were produced before the tribunal during yesterday’s hearing.
Two other accused, Sayed Mohammad Ziaul Haque alias Maj (sacked) Zia and Akram Hossain Abir, have been absconding since the murder.
US-based Bangladeshi blogger Avijit was hacked near the Teacher-Student Centre of Dhaka University.
Prof Ajoy filed the murder case accusing unidentified assailants with Shahbagh Police Station on February 27.
Inspector Muhammad Monirul Islam of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit of police submitted the charge sheet to Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Dhaka on March 11 this year.
On August 1, the Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal of Dhaka framed charges against six members of banned militant outfit Ansar al Islam.
Comments