Date fixed for re-indictment hearing in Blogger Wasiqur murder trial

A Dhaka court on Tuesday fixed 4 November for the re-indictment hearing in the trial of the murder of blogger Wasiqur Rahman Babu, reports news agency BSS.

The court of 3rd additional metropolitan sessions judge Mohammad Rabiul Alam set the date, accepting a plea of the prosecution under section 227 of Code of Criminal Procedure for alteration of charges under section 120B of the Penal Code.

Earlier, on 4 October, the court fixed 27 October for delivering verdict.

The accused in the case – Jikrullah alias Hasan, Ariful Islam alias Mushfiq alias Erfan and Saiful Islam alias Mansur are in jail.

Two other accused -- Junaid alias Junaid Ahmed alias Taher and Akram Hossain alias Hasib alias Abdullah -- are absconding.

On 1 September 2015, the Detective Branch (DB) filed a charge sheet against the accused. Later on 20 July 2016, the court framed charges against the accused.

According to the case statement, blogger Wasiqur Rahman Babu was killed in the morning of 30 March 2015 in Begunbari area of the capital, on his way to office.

Soon after, with the help of the crowd, the police arrested two madrasa students named, Jikrullah and Ariful Islam, and seized three sharp weapons allegedly used in the murder from their possession.

During the primary interrogation, Jikrullah and Ariful admitted that Wasiqur was killed for writing about Islam on social media including Facebook and blogs.

Later, Monir Hossain, brother-in-law of the victim, filed a murder case with Tejgaon police station on the same night, naming four persons including Jikrullah and Ariful Islam and accusing some unidentified persons.