Dipan murder case: 8 Ansar Al Islam members sentenced to death
A Dhaka tribunal today sentenced eight members of the banned militant group Ansar Al Islam to death for killing publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan in October 2015.
The accused are: Ansar Al Islam's top commander Sayed Ziaul Haque alias Major (sacked) Zia, "squad leader" Moinul Hasan Shamim alias Samir alias Imran, trainer Abdus Sabur alias Samad alias Sujon alias Raju, and top operatives Khairul Islam alias Fahim alias Jishan, Sheikh Abdullah, Abu Siddiq Sohel, Mozammel Hossain alias Saimon and Akram Hossein alias Hasib.
Of them, Major Zia and Akram are still absconding, while the rest are behind bars.
Judge Md Majibur Rahman of the Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal of Dhaka handed down the sentence in presence of the six accused in a packed courtroom.
In the judgment, the tribunal said the prosecution was able to prove the charges against all the accused and they were given capital punishment for their involvement in committing the heinous offence.
The punishment of the fugitives will be effective from the day of their arrest or surrender, the judge said.
In his 53-page judgment, the court further said the convicts had planned to kill Dipan as he published the book of writer-blogger Avijit Roy, who was murdered on Dhaka University campus on February 26, 2015.
After the verdict, Dipan's widow Razia Rahman said she was satisfied with the judgement.
The trial was concluded in 36 working days since the framing of charges against the accused on October 13 of 2019.
Earlier, the tribunal recorded statements of 23 prosecution witnesses, including complainant of the case.
Jagriti Prokashani publisher Dipan, also son of Dhaka University's former professor Abul Quasem Fazlul Huq, was stabbed to death at his office in Shahbagh on October 31, 2015.
On November 2 that year, the victim's wife, filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station accusing some unknown persons.
On November 14, 2018, Assistant Commissioner Md Fazlur Rahman of Detective Branch (DB) of police submitted a charge sheet against the eight members of Ansar Al Islam in the case.
The tribunal framed charges against them on October 13, 2019.
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