DHAKA: A speedy trail tribunal on Monday fixed December 31 (Thursday) as the date to pronounce its verdict in the case filed over the murder of blogger Rajib Haider, also one of the main organizers of pro-liberation youth forum Ganajagaran Mancha.

Speedy Trial Tribunal-3 of Dhaka Judge Sayeed Ahmed fixed the date after completion of placing arguments of both plaintiff and defenders.

Advocates Mosharraf Hossain Kajal, Faruq Ahmed and Jasim Uddin were the defence lawyers while special public prosecutor of the court Mahbubur Rahman moved for the plaintiff.

This would be the first ever verdict of bloggers’ murders in the country.

Earlier, a total of 34, including Rajib’s younger brother Engineer Newaz Murtaza Haider, gave deposition.

On March 18 this year, the court of Fourth Additional Metropolitan Session Judge Ruhul Amin framed charges against eight people, including Ansarullah Bangla Team chief Mufti Mohammad Jasimuddin Rahmani.

The other accused are North South University (NSU) students Mohammad Faisal Bin Nayeem Dip (22) of Chowdhurypara, Yasir Mahmud (20) of Kalabagan and Maqsudul Hasan Anik (23) of Keraniganj of Dhaka; and Mohammad Ehsan Reza Rumman (23) of Jhenaidah; Nayeem Irad (19) of Brahmanbaria; Nafiz Imtiaj (22) of Chittagong and Redwanul Azad Rana (30) of Feni district.

All of them except Jasimuddin Rahmani were students of Electrical & Electronic Engineering (EEE) and Electronic & Telecommunication Engineering (ETE) departments of NSU.

According to the charge-sheet, the students were influenced by reading the books and listening to the speeches of Jasimuddin Rahmani.

They consequently were inspired to kill ‘atheist’ Rajib.

Jasimuddin has been indicted as the instigator of the killing.

Blogger and also an architect Ahmed Rajib Haider was chopped to death in front of his house in city’s Mirpur area on February 15 in 2013.

BDST: 2028 HRS, DEC 28, 2015
SR/RR/SMS