Speedy trial tribunal to hear prosecution's arguments tomorrow

The Speedy Trial Tribunal-3 of Dhaka yesterday fixed tomorrow for hearing arguments from the prosecution in the blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider murder case.

Rajib, an activist of the Shahbagh movement demanding death penalty for war criminals, was hacked to death in the capital's Pallabi on February 15, 2013.

Yesterday, the court fixed the date after reading out the relevant statements of 35 prosecution witnesses before seven accused in case. It also fixed Sunday and Monday for hearing arguments from the defence counsels.

The accused yesterday claimed to be innocent saying that they did not know anything about the killing.

The accused are Mufti Jasimuddin Rahmani, chief of emerging militant group Ansarullah Bangla Team, and former students of North South University Md Faisal Bin Nayem alias Dweep, Maksudul Hasan alias Anik, Md Ehsan Reza alias Rumman, Nayem Sikdar alias Iraj, Nafis Imtiaz and Sadman Yasir Mahmud.

On March 18 this year, a Dhaka court framed charges against eight people including the seven. The other accused, Redwanul Azad Rana, former student of NSU, is on the run and he was shown as the mastermind of the killing in the charge sheet.