Court accepts charges against 8 in Dipan murder

A court here on Tuesday took cognisance of charges against eight alleged members of Ansarullah Bangla Team in a case filed over the killing of Jagriti Publications publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan.

The eight ABT men are Syed Ziaul Hoque, a suspended major of Bangladesh Army who is known as Sagar alias Istikhakh alias Boro Bhai in the organisation, Moinul Hasan Shamim alias Sifat alias Samir alias Imran, Md Abdus Sabur alias Abdus Samad alias Sujan alias Raju alias Sad, Khairul Islam alias Jamil alias Rifat alias Fahim alias Jisan, Md Abu Siddique Sohel alias Sakib alias Sajid alias Shahab, Mozammel Hossain alias Saimon alias Shashriar, Md Sheikh Abdullah alias Jubayer alias Jayed alias Javed, and Akram Hossain alias Hasib alias Abir alias Adnan alias Abdullah.

Of the accused, six are currently behind the bars while two others -- Syed Ziaul Hoque and Akram Hossain -- have been on the run. The court also issued a warrant for the arrest of the duo.

The court also asked police to submit a report by April 23 on the execution of the arrest order.

On November 15 last year, police pressed charges against the eight accused in the killing case.

Investigation officer (IO) of the case, assistant commissioner of Detective Branch (DB) of police Fazlur Rahman, submitted a charge-sheet to the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sharafuzzaman Ansari.

Major Syed Ziaul Hoque, mastermind of the killing, was suspended from the Bangladesh Army.

Publisher Dipan, son of Prof Abul Kashem Fazlul Huq of Dhaka University, was hacked to death in his office on the second floor of Aziz Supermarket at Shahbagh in the city on October 31, 2015.

A case was filed with Shahbagh Police Station over the matter the following day and later, the case was transferred to DB.