Five ABT activists indicted with blogger Oyasiqur murder

Five members of banned Ansarullah Bangla Team were on Wednesday indicted with murder of secular blogger Oyasiqur Rahman.
The court of third additional metropolitan sessions judge, SM Ziaur Rahman, also announced that their trial would begin on August 4 with the recording of testimonies of prosecution witnesses.
Oyasiqur Rahman was the second victim of targeted killings of secular bloggers in 2015.
Barely a month ago blogger Avijit Roy was hacked to death on the Dhaka University campus. The attack left his wife Rafida Ahmed Banna seriously injured as they were on their way home from the Ekushey Book Fair.
Oyasiqur, who earned his living as a travel agency executive, was killed on March30, 2015.
The indicted include Zikurullah alias Hasan, Ariful Islam alias Mushfiq alias Irfan, Saiful Islam alias Mansur, Zunayed alias Zunayed Ahmed and Akram Hossain alias Hasib alias Abudullah.
From the dock, Saiful, Ariful and Zikurullah, pleaded not guilty.
Akram and Zunayed are absconding, public prosecutor Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters.
Madrassah students Zikurullah and Ariful tried to flee after killing Oyasiqur at Begunbari in the capital when they were chased and caught by passersby. But accused Zunayed fled from the spot.
Oyasiqur was on his way to office when he was killed.
According to the prosecution, Abdullah, alias Boro Bhai masterminded the killing, trained the killers for three months and gave them arms.
Oyasiqur’s brother in law Monir Hossain filed the murder case with Tejgaon police station.
In confessional statements , Zikurul Hasan and Ariful Islam admitted that they had killed Oyasiqur for his anti Islamic postings in Facebook.
On September 1, 2015, the detective branch of police pressed charges against the five accused for their alleged involvement in the killing.
Secular bloggers and writers who were killed in targeted attacks since January 2013, include Ahmed Rajib Haidar Shovon, Avijit Roy, Ananta Bijoy, Niladri Chatterjee Niloy, Xulhaz Mannan, Khandaker Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy, Faisal Arefin Dipan and Nazimuddin Samad.
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News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net