20 deadlines but no charge sheet

Two years have gone by but investigators are yet to complete their probe into the killing of blogger Niladri Chattopadhyay Niloy.

They missed the court's set deadlines for submitting the charge sheet 20 times, frustrating Niloy's widow Asha Moni who has been waiting for justice. 

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Meanwhile, a Dhaka court yesterday asked detectives to submit the probe report by September 17.

“It is really shocking that investigators could not submit the charge sheet even after two years,” Asha told The Daily Star yesterday.

“Since the murder, I have been passing days in fear and I do not stay outside for a long time,” she said, adding that she always returns home before nightfall.

She said she was not aware of what the investigators were actually doing. “Yet, I believe and hope that the governments will definitely ensure punishment of the killers.”

Investigators said it would take more time to submit the charge sheet as they were still looking for six suspects.

On August 7, 2015, Niloy, also an activist of Gonojagoron Mancha, was hacked to death.

Four men armed with cleavers got into his Goran home, posing as potential tenants, and then killed him in his bedroom.

Banned militant outfit Ansar-al-Islam, Bangladesh chapter of Al Qaeda in Indian Sub-continent (AQIS), claimed responsibility for the murder.

Detective Branch (DB) of police has been investigating the case.

Police have so far arrested eight suspects. Of them, three -- Kawsar Hossain, Kamal Hossain Sarker and Khairul Islam Rifat -- are in jail.

Five others secured bail from the High Court. They are: Saad al Nahiyan, also an accused in the case filed for attacking blogger Asif Mohiuddin, Tariqul Islam, Masud Rana, Mawlana Abdul Gaffar and Mortoza Foysal Sakib.

Rifat, the so-called IT expert of ABT, has given a confessional statement before a court under section 164.

He gave a detailed description of the murder and mentioned the names of six other suspects, said Hasan Arafat, DB additional deputy commissioner who is coordinating the investigation.

“We are now looking for the six suspects,” Hasan said, adding that it was taking time as Rifat only knew organisational names of the six suspects.

Asked about the charge sheet, he said they could submit it once the real identities of the accused were known and they were arrested.

Prime accused in the case, who goes by several names -- Shariful, Sakib, Saleh, Arif and Hadi -- was killed in a “gunfight” with police in Khilgaon on August 22 last year. He was trainer for ABT, Hasan said.