A Dhaka court has fixed April 13 to announce the verdict in a case filed over the murder of Dhaka University teacher and writer Prof Humayun Azad in 2004.
Dhaka’s Fourth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Al Mamun on Sunday set the date after hearing the arguments of both the defence and prosecution.
Prof Humayun sustained severe injuries when criminals hacked him with sharp weapons while he was on the way to his house from the Bangla Academy premises in Dhaka, the venue of Amar Ekushey Book Fair, on February 27, 2004, according to the case statement.
After undergoing treatment at both home and abroad, he died of a cardiac arrest in Munich, Germany, on August 12 of the same year.
Soon after the murder attempt, a case was filed at Ramna police station accusing unidentified persons.
Three years after the incident, CID Inspector Kazi Abdul Malek pressed charges against five people on November 14, 2007.
On October 20, 2009, a Dhaka court ordered further investigation into the case following a petition filed by the DU teacher’s brother Manzur Kabir.
Following a reinvestigation, the CID submitted a fresh chargesheet accusing five JMB leaders and appealed to the court to turn the case into a murder case on April 30, 2012.
On September 10, 2012, the court indicted JMB leaders Mizanur Rahman alias Minhaz, Anwar Alam alias Anwar Hossain, Nur Mohammad Babu alias Sabu, Salauddin alias Salehin and Hafiz Mahmud in the case.
Two of the accused—Minhaz and Anwar Alam—gave confessional statements before magistrates admitting their involvement in the incident under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.