Four to die in Humayun Azad murder case

A court in Dhaka has sentenced four people to death in a case filed over the murder of ex-Dhaka University teacher, intellectual and writer professor Humayun Azad.

Dhaka’s Fourth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Al Mamun delivered the verdict on Wednesday (April 13).

The death row convicts are Mizanur Rahman alias Minhaz, Anwarul Alam alias Shaheed, Salehin alias Salahuddin, and and Nur Mohammad alias Shamim.

Among them, two accused are on the run while two others are in jail.

The court also issued arrest warrant against the fugitive persons.

On February 27 in 2004, ex-Dhaka University teacher, intellectual and writer professor Humayun Azad sustained severe injuries when some miscreants hacked him indiscriminately at Amar Ekushey Book Fair on Bangla Academy premises.

The following day, Humayun Azad’s brother Manjur Kabir filed a case of attempted murder at Ramna police station.

After the attack, he was undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka for 22 days and at Bangkok for 48 days. He was shifted to Germany the same year where he died on August 12.

The case later turned into a murder case with his death.

On November 14 in 2007, Kazi Abdul Malek, inspector of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), submitted chargesheet against five militants including the chief of banned militant outfit Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) Shaykh Abdur Rahman.

However, on March 30 of the same year, Shaykh Abdur Rahman and Ataur Rahman were hanged in another murder case of two judges in Jhalokati.

After reinvestigation, CID inspector Lutfar Rahman, the main investigating officer in the case, pressed charges against the five accused on April 30 in 2012.

The accused in the case are Mizanur Rahman alias Minhaz alias Shafiq, Anwar Alam alias Bhagne Shahid, Salehin alias Salahuddin, Hafiz Mahmud and Nur Mohammad alias Sabu.

Among them, accused Nur Mohammad alias Sabu is absconding.

Two accused Salahuddin alias Salehin and Rakibul Hasan alias Hafiz Mahmud were snatched from a prison van on February 23 in 2014. However, Rakib was caught that night and later died in a 'gunfight' with the police.