A member of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh was shown arrested and was taken on remand yesterday for his alleged involvement in an attempt to murder Professor Humayun Azad.
First Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Ali Hossain placed JMB member Salauddin Ahmed alias Salehin on a four-day remand after Criminal Investigation Department produced him before it with a seven-day prayer.
In the forwarding report, CID Inspector Mustafizur Rahman, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, said, "Salehin was directly involved in the attempt to kill the victim. So he needs to be taken on remand to know the whereabouts of his other accomplices."
Earlier on October 20 last year, the same court ordered further investigation into the attack on Prof Azad and directed the CID to submit the probe report by December 20. But the investigation officer failed. Later the court again allowed the CID two and a half months more to complete the probe.
A gang of attackers stabbed eminent writer Prof Azad with machetes in front of the Bangla Academy in the capital on February 27, 2004, leaving him critically injured. After his recovery, Prof Azad went to Germany where he died on August 11, 2004.
Monjur Kabir, brother of Prof Azad, filed a petition on October 6 last year seeking further investigation into the attack on Prof Azad.
CID Inspector Kazi Abdul Malek, first IO of the case, submitted a charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in Dhaka on November 15, 2007 against five JMB men, including executed JMB leaders Abdur Rahman and his brother Ataur Rahman Sunny.
But their names were dropped from the charge sheet as they were sentenced to death for killing two judges in Jhalakathi.
Among the three other accused, Mizanur Rahman Minhaz and Nur Mohammad Shamim remain absconding while Nur Alam alias Anwar Hossain Shahid is now in Dhaka Central Jail after his arrest in 2005.