Blogger Niloy murder: Probe report not submitted yet

Staff Correspondent: The investigation into the murder of blogger Niladri Chattopadhyay Niloy saw no significant progress although two years have passed.

Two years ago, on August 7, 2015, Niloy, also an activist of Gonojagoron Mancha, was killed by four assailants with machetes introducing themselves as prospective tenants at his Khilgaon residence in Dhaka. Two years have gone by but investigators are yet to divulge the real mystery over the killing of blogger Niladri Chattopadhyay Niloy.

At the same time, the investigators are yet to identify the real culprits involved in the murder.

A good number of dates were fixed by Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrates Court asking the investigators to submit their probe report but the investigators have missed every extended deadline given.

Earlier, the court fixed yesterday (August 6) to submit the investigation report of the murder case but Inspector Bahauddin Faruqi of Detective Branch of Police, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, could not submit the report.

Due to this, Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Lutfor Rahman Shishir has again asked the Investigation Officer of the case, Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) of Police Inspector Bahauddin Faruki, to submit the probe report by September 17, on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Niloy's wife Asha Moni, who has been waiting for justice, has expressed dissatisfaction as there has not been any significant headway in the investigation of the murder.

“Since the murder, I have been passing days in fear and I do not stay outside for a long time,” she said.

Asha 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.”

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.

The investigators said they found the involvement of members of the banned militant organisations Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and Ansar-Al-Islam behind Niloy’s murder.

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

risingbd/Dhaka/Aug 7, 2017/Mamun Khan/Amirul