Dipan murder: court to deliver verdict on February 10

A Dhaka court today set February 10 for the delivery of judgment against eight members of banned militant outfit Ansar Al Islam, including sacked Major Zia ul Haque, in a case filed over the murder of publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan in 2015.

Judge Majibur Rahman of the Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal set the date after conclusion of arguments from both sides.

The other accused are: leader of the squad Moinul Hasan Shamim alias Samir alias Imran (24); trainer Abdus Sabur alias Samad alias Sujon alias Raju (23); and top ABT operatives Khairul Islam alias Fahim alias Jishan (24), Sheikh Abdullah (27), Abu Siddiq Sohel (34), and Mozammel Hossain alias Saimon (25) and Akram Hossein alias Hasib (24).

Of them, Zia and Akram are still at large while the six others are in jail.

The tribunal recorded statements of 23 prosecution witnesses including complainant of the case.

On October 13, 2019, the tribunal framed charges against Zia and the seven others in the case.

Faisal Arefin Dipan, 43, the publisher of Jagriti Prokashani, was hacked to death at his office in Dhaka's Shahbagh on October 31, 2015.

Later, his wife filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station accusing unknown persons.

On November 15 of 2018, Assistant Commissioner of Detective Branch (DB) Fazlur Rahman submitted the charge sheet to the chief metropolitan magistrate of Dhaka.