Verdict on Thursday

Verdict of the blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider murder case against the chief of militant group Ansarullah Bangla Team and seven former students of a private university will be delivered on Thursday.

After completion of the arguments from the prosecution and the defence, Judge Md Sayeed Ahmed of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-3 of Dhaka yesterday set the date for delivering the judgment.

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During the yesterday's hearing, the prosecution sought highest punishment for the accused for the killing while the defence sought acquittal of the accused.

Earlier, the court recorded the statements of 35 prosecution witnesses, including Rajib's father, complainant of the case.

Rajib, an activist of the Shahbagh movement demanding death penalty for war criminals, was hacked to death in the capital's Pallabi on February 15, 2013.

Earlier on March 18 this year, a Dhaka court framed charges against Ansarullah Bangla Team Chief Mufti Jasimuddin Rahmani and seven former students of the university.

The seven are Redwanul Azad Rana, Md Faisal Bin Nayem alias Dweep, Maksudul Hasan alias Anik, Md Ehsan Reza alias Rumman, Nayem Sikdar alias Iraj, Nafis Imtiaz and Sadman Yasir Mahmud.

Of them, Rana is on the run and the charge was framed against him in his absence. In the charge sheet, Rana was shown as the mastermind of the murder.

Earlier a gazette notification, issued by the law department of the home ministry on May 5 ordered the authorities concerned to send the Rajib murder case to the Speedy Trial Tribunal-3 of Dhaka for its quick disposal.