A Dhaka court has sentenced five people, all members of banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team, to death over the murder of Avijit Roy, writer and founder of Mukto Mona blog.
One Ansarullah Bangla Team member also received life imprisonment for the killing.
Judge of Dhaka Anti-Terrorism Tribunal Md Mujibur Rahman delivered the verdict on Tuesday over the killing of Avijit who was hacked to death amid the spate of 'blogger-killings' in 2015.
The convicted are - sacked Bangladesh Army major Syed Ziaul Haque alias Major Zia, Mozammel Hossain alias Saimon, Abu Siddiq Sohel alias Sakib alias Sajid alias Shahab, Akram Hossain alias Abir and Md Arafat Rahman.
Shafiur Rahman Farabi was sentenced to life in jail.
Of the six, Zia and Akram are still on the run.
The Tribunal earlier on February 4 fixed the date to deliver the verdict. Before that, the prosecution concluded its argument seeking death penalty of six accused in the murder case of Avijit Roy.
Earlier on August 1, 2019, a court here framed charges against six leaders and activists of banned militant outfit Ansar-Al-Islam, including sacked Major Ziaul Haque, also the coordinator of the outfit, in the murder case of blogger Avijit Roy.
During the trial, the court heard 28 prosecution witnesses, including Avijit’s father and prominent educationist and noted physicist Prof Ajay Roy, who passed away on December 9, 2019.
Avijit Roy, founder of Mukto Mona blog, was hacked to death, and his wife Rafida Afrin Banya injured as then unidentified assailants attacked them with cleavers near TSC on the Dhaka University campus on February 26, 2015.
Victim's father filed a murder case with Shahbagh Police Station on February 27 of the year.
nh/teb
