Avijit murder: Charges pressed against sacked major Zia, 5 others

The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Thursday pressed charges against six people, including sacked major Syed Mohammad Ziaul Haque, a suspected coordinator of banned militant outfit Ansar-Al-Islam, in the blogger Avijit Roy murder case, reports UNB.

Monirul Islam, inspector of CTTC and also investigation officer of the case, submitted a charge-sheet before the court of Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Sorafuzzaman Ansari.

Besides, the investigation officer appealed for acquitting Sadek Ali alias Mithu and 14 others.

A total 34 people will testify in the case before the court.

The court also fixed 25 March to hear whether it will take cognisance of the charges.

The five other accused are Mozammel Hossain alias Saimon, Abu Siddiq Sohel alias Sakib alias Sajid alias Shahab, Akram Hossain alias Abir, Md Arafat Rahman and Shafiur Rahman Farabi.

Of them, Zia and Akram have been on the run.

Avijit Roy, son of noted physicist Ajoy Roy and founder of Mukto-Mona blog, was hacked to death, and his wife Rafida Afrin Banya injured as unidentified assailants attacked them with meat cleavers near TSC on the Dhaka University campus on 26 February, 2015.

Victim's father filed a murder case with Shahbagh Police Station on 27 February of the year.