Arrestee ‘confesses’ involvement in Bangladeshi blogger Oyasiqur killing

Madrasa teacher Saiful Islam yesterday “confessed” to a Dhaka court that he and six to seven other men, including detained Zikurullah and Ariful Islam, planned to kill blogger Oyasiqur Rahman Babu for his Facebook posts critical of Islam. 
The planning was done in two meetings in the capital's Jatrabari, court sources said.
The name of the madrasa Saiful works and the exact place of the meetings could not be immediately known. 
Metropolitan Magistrate SM Masud Zaman recorded Saiful's statement, after investigating office Moshiur Rahman produced him before the court following eight days' remand.
Saiful told the court that he did not take part in the killing as he was arrested by Jatrabari police on March 24, six days before the murder, in an arms case, added the sources.
In his statement, Saiful mentioned of a "big brother" who was the mastermind behind the killing and was present during the planning. But he did not give the name. 
After recording the statement, the court ordered to send Saiful to prison.      
Oyasiqur, 27, was hacked to death by three cleaver-wielding youths in the capital's Tejgaon on March 30. 
Zikurullah and Ariful were caught by locals while running away, but the third attacker managed to flee. 
During police remand, Zikurullah and Ariful confessed to the killing.
After his arrest in an arms case, Saiful was shown arrested in the Oyasiqur murder case.
A staunch critic of religious fundamentalism, Oyasiqur was active mostly on Facebook though he used to write in Bangla blogosphere.