Rajib murder: 2 to die, Ansarullah chief jailed for 5yrs

- First blogger killing verdict

- 2 ex-private university students to die

- 1 jailed for life term, 3 for 10yr, 1 for 3yr

- Ansarullah chief sent to 5yr in jail

- Court blasts investigators, says there was 'negligence'

A Dhaka court today handed death penalty to two, life term jail to another, five-year imprisonment for militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team chief Mufti Jashimuddin Rahmani and various jail terms for five others for killing blogger Rajib Haider in February 2013 – the first in series of blogger killings in Bangladesh.

Dhaka Special Trial Tribunal-3 Judge Sayeed Ahmed handed down the verdict in presence of seven of the accused. One of the death row convict in on the run.

Militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team chief Mufti Jashimuddin Rahmani was being taken to the jail after a Dhaka court sentenced him to five year imprisonment in blogger Rajib murder case. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

The court, in its observation, came down heavily on the investigators of the case saying “there was negligence from their behalf” and the probe “should have been more thorough.”

Ahmed Rajib Haidar, a blogger and activist of Shahbagh movement was hacked to death on February 15, 2013 near his house at Mirpur. He was the first of five bloggers killed so far.

His body was so brutally mutilated that neighbours found it difficult to identify Rajib under the blood and scars left by assailants. Nearly two years after, the verdict of his murder has been released.

Rajib Haider. File photo

Judge Ahmed handed death penalty to former private university students, Md Faisal Bin Nayem alias Dweep and absconding Redwanul Azad Rana. They were also fined Tk 10,000 each.

Maksudul Hasan alias Anik was given life term with a fine of Tk 10,000. In default, he will have to serve an additional year in prison. Md Ehsan Reza alias Rumman, Nayem Sikdar alias Iraj and Nafis Imtiaz were given 10-year jail with Tk 5,000 fine each. In default, the trio will have to endure six months more jail term.

Sadman Yasir Mahmud was given three years in prison and Tk 2,000 in fine with three months more jail time in default.

Police are escorting three of the convicts after a Dhaka court sentenced them to different terms of imprisonment on Thursday in Rajib blogger killing case. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

These students had vowed to kill “atheist bloggers” after reading Jasimuddin's books and listening to his sermons, the investigation officer said in the charge sheet. They targeted Rajib “for his blog posts under the nick of Thabababa” and carried out the murder in two separate groups.

Mufti Jashimuddin Rahmani, the chief of banned militant outfit ABT, was given five years of jail and Tk 2,000 in fine with two months of additional imprisonment in default.