Justice for Dipan at last!
We concur with the observation of the Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal that the efforts of the banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), via ambushing and murdering bloggers, writers and publishers, were, in effect, attempts "to muzzle public voice, violate people's right to freedom of expression and destroy the secular harmony of the nation." While handing down capital punishment to eight ABT men on Wednesday for the murder of publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan on October 31, 2015, the court also added, "Those who can kill people for publishing books are the enemy of the state and the society"—a sentiment we wholeheartedly agree with.
The gruesome killings of secular bloggers, writers and LGBT rights activists between 2013 and 2016 shocked the nation's conscience and perhaps woke us up to the true danger posed by intolerant and extreme ideologues. Although six cases filed over the killings are still awaiting verdict or are under trial, we are pleased that the trial in the murder case of Dipan was concluded in 36 working days since the framing of charges against the eight accused on October 13, 2019, though it has been an excruciatingly long wait for Dipan's family since he was murdered. Sadly, a report published by this newspaper on Thursday revealed that the six convicts who were in custody showed next to no remorse in court while listening to their death sentences being read out. Such lack of emotion is another chilling example of what happens to individuals who are brainwashed into believing ideologies that are completely dismissive and hostile towards every other worldview except theirs.
As the chapter of Dipan's murder case draws to a close, we hope the law enforcement agencies are soon able to capture the two other accused who are currently absconding—especially the leader of the team, Sayed Ziaul Haque, who is also an accused in the other murder cases. And we hope to see similar progress being made in the other murder cases, too. Moreover, we would like to see the state itself make greater effort and provide better security that aims to guarantee people's right to freedom of expression and protect the secular harmony of the nation.
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