4 Awarded Death Penalty in Humayun Azad Murder Case

In Dhaka University professor, writer, and linguist Dr. Humayun Azad's murder case, the court has sentenced 4 people to death.

Judge Al Mamun of Dhaka's 4th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court pronounced the verdict on Wednesday (April 13th). However, no member of Humayun Azad's family was seen appearing in court when the verdict was announced 18 years after the murder.

After hearing the arguments of both the parties on March 27, the judge of the 4th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka set the date for announcing the verdict.

The convicts are JMB Shura member Mizanur Rahman alias Minhaj alias Shafiq, Anwar Alam alias Bhagina Shahid, Salehin alias Salahuddin and Nur Mohammad alias Sabu. Among the accused are Minhaj and Anwar in jail. The fugitives are Saladin and Nur Mohammad.

Writer Humayun Azad was seriously injured in a terrorist attack on the sidewalk opposite Bangla Academy on February 27, 2004, on his way home from Ekushey Book Fair. After the attack, he was treated at CMH for 22 days and at Bangkok for 48 days. He died on 12 August of that year in Munich, Germany. The day after the incident, his younger brother Manjur Kabir filed a case of attempted murder with Ramna Police Station. It was later converted into a murder case. Another case was also registered under the Explosives Act in the same incident.

Later, on November 11, 2007, the investigating officer of the case filed a charge sheet in the court accusing five people. Abul Abbas Bhuiyan and Golam Mostafa were acquitted in the charge sheet as the charges against them were not proved.

On October 6, 2009, the plaintiff in the case, Md. Manzur Kabir applied for further investigation into the case. The judge later granted the application on October 20 and directed the CID to investigate the case. After investigating the case on April 30, 2012, CID inspector Lutfar Rahman filed a supplementary charge sheet against the five accused. On September 10 of the same year, the court framed charges against the five accused.