A Dhaka court has framed charges against five members of banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) in a case filed over the murder of blogger Washiqur Rahman Babu in 2015.
Dhaka’s Third Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Rabiul Alam framed the charges on Wednesday.
Earlier today, three of the five accused -- Zikrullah alias Hasan, Md Ariful Islam alias Arif alias Mushfiq, and Md Saiful Islam alias Mansur-- who are currently in jail, appeared before the court during a hearing on the case.
Two others -- Akram Hossain Hasib alias Abdullah and Junayed alias Taher -- are on the run.
Earlier on October 27, a Dhaka court set November 4 to hold a hearing on charge framing in the case.
On October 4, the same court fixed October 27 for delivering its verdict in the case. Judge Md Rabiul Alam set the date after the end of argument hearing of both prosecution and defence.
However, the court fixed November 4 for a new indictment hearing after the state lawyer filed a plea for framing charges once more.
Earlier on July 20, 2016, the court framed charges against the five members of the banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) in the case.
On September 2, 2015, DB inspector Moshiur Rahman, the investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the charge-sheet against the five accused to court in the case.
Blogger Washiqur Rahman Babu, 26, who was also an employee of Far East Travels Ltd, was stabbed by a group of assailants, near South Begunbari Jame Mosque under Tejgaon Industrial police station on 30 March 2015.
Police rescued injured Washiqur and took him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where doctors declared him dead.
nh/teb
