The trial in secular activist Oyasiqur Rahman Babu murder case has remained stuck as the prosecution has failed to bring the witnesses to the court.
Since October 26 last year, when the first witness testified at the court, only 16 out of the 40 prosecution witnesses have given deposition in the sensational case.
But the proceedings got stuck due to non-appearance of the complainant of the case, also the brother-in-law of the secular activist.
On the other hand, police have failed to arrest two of the five accused who masterminded the murder.
Oyasiqur Babu, a 27-year-old travel agency executive, was active especially on Facebook. He used to write against the war criminals of Jamaat-e-Islami, radical Islamist groups and Superstition.
Before being hacked to death in Tejgaon area when he was on his way to office on March 30, 2015, Babu had been campaigning against militant group Ansarullah Bangla Team, an al-Qaeda offshoot now named Ansar al-Islam, for the death of Mukto-Mona blog founder Avijit Roy.
The killers of secular activist Oyasiqur are seen in police custody
Dhaka TribuneTwo of the three killers – both students of different Qawmi madrasas – were caught by two transgender persons as they tried to flee. They later confessed to committing the crimes being instigated by their senior brother and spiritual leader.
Additional public prosecutor Md Sahauddin Ahamed said that the court had issued arrest warrants 25 times but the complainant did not show up for deposition.
He also alleged that Babu’s family had not been cooperating to ensure presence of the prosecution witness.
Police submitted the charge sheet against five members of banned militant outfit Ansarullah on September 2, 2015.
The accused – Zikrullah alias Hasan, Ariful Islam, and Saiful Islam, Akram Hossain Hasib alias Boro Bhai, and Junayed alias Taher – were indicted on July 20 last year. Akram and Taher are absconding.
Gonojagoron Moncho organises a candlelight vigil for slain blogger Oyasiqur Rahman and other killed Muktomona writers and bloggers on Thursday at Dhaka’s Shahbagh, demanding speedy trail of the murders
SYED ZAKIR HOSSAINAccording to the charge sheet, Akram planned the murder after holding a meeting at Ariful’s house located at Mirpur on December 15, 2014. The killers also held a meeting at a house in Jatrabari some days before the killing.
The investigator also learnt about the involvement of Ansarullah members Masum alias Masud, Sharif and Abrar in the killing, but they have not been arrested yet.
