Two sentenced to death for Bangladesh blogger murder
A Bangladesh court sentenced two students to death on Thursday for the 2013 murder of a secular blogger, delivering the first convictions over a series of brutal killings that have rocked the Muslim-majority nation.
Ahmed Rajib Haider, 35, was hacked to death by machete-wielding attackers in February 2013, in the first of a string of attacks targeting secular writers.
The judge in the fast-track court on Thursday found both students and one other man, Maksudul Hasan, guilty of murder and convicted another five people on lesser charges related to Haider’s death.
Hasan, 23, was given a life sentence.
One of the two students, who attended one of the country’s top universities, is on the run and was sentenced in absentia.
“Two students of North South University, Faisal bin Nayem and Rezwanul Azad Rana, were sentenced to death. Rana has been a fugitive since the trial began,” prosecutor Mahbubur Rahman told AFP.
Rahman said the two students had been “inspired” by the sermons of firebrand cleric Jashim Uddin Rahmani, 45, who was given five years in prison for abetting the murder.
“I am not satisfied. The judge said it was a pre-planned murder. They should have been given harsher punishments,” he added.
Five more secular bloggers and a publisher have been brutally killed this year, triggering protests and claims that the government is not doing enough to protect dissident writers and activists.
Police say the banned Islamist group Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) was behind the attacks.
Haider, an architect, became a target of the group after he helped launch a massive protest against the leaders of the largest Islamist party, several of whom are accused of war crimes during Bangladesh’s 1971 independence struggle against Pakistan.
Police said Haider had angered the students by writing against Islam and mocking the Prophet Mohammed on blog sites.
They said Rahmani, an ABT leader, had ordered the murders of other secular bloggers from jail while he was being tried for Haider’s murder.
These include Avijit Roy, a US citizen of Bangladeshi origin who moderated an anti-religion website. He was killed in February.
Rahmani had preached that it was legal to kill atheist bloggers who campaigned against Islam, police said.
– Growing danger –
Haider’s father said the sentences against some of those convicted were too lenient.
“I am not happy. These people are self-declared killers of my son. Yet not all of them got a death sentence,” Nijam Uddin told AFP.
However, a lawyer for the defendants said they would appeal the verdict.
“In his verdict, the judge admitted there was no eye-witness to the murder. There was no way the two should get death penalty,” Faruque Ahmed told AFP.
Secular groups have called nationwide protests and rallies to demand more protection for publishers, bloggers and writers, some of whom have fled the country or gone into hiding.
Several foreigners have also been murdered in recent months in Bangladesh, which has also suffered attacks on minority Sufi and Shiites Muslims.
A long-running political crisis in the majority Sunni Muslim but officially secular country has radicalised opponents of the government and analysts say Islamist extremists pose a growing danger.
Haider was the first secular blogger to be murdered in Bangladesh. After his death, the country’s Islamist parties began to protest against other campaigning bloggers, accusing them of blasphemy and calling for their execution.
The secular government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reacted by arresting four bloggers including one who was allegedly attacked by the same group of students accused of Haider’s murder.
The government also blocked about a dozen websites and blogs to stem the furore, as well as stepping up security for the bloggers.
Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox every day of the week. Stay informed with the Guardian’s leading coverage of Nigerian and world news, business, technology and sports.
1 Comments
Sterling Homes ltd selling Plots and Acres of Land
,,,..
Hebron garden estate is owned by Sterling homes Ltd and it’s
completely free from “omo-onile” and government acquisition. Land
mass: more than 10acres. Land type: dry, sandy and leveled. Location: Lekki,
about 6minutes drive to Eleko beach and 15minutes drive to Lekki free trade
zone. There are several notable Landmarks before the estate. These include, The
Lagos Business School, Crown Estate, Farapark, Sapphire Garden, Green Springs
School and Shares immediate environment with Mayfair Gardens and Beechwood
Estate & lots more. PAYMENT PLAN FOR A PLOT: *Smart plan: Outright payment
#2.8m. *Easy Plan: #3m. Spread #210,000 for 10months after the initial deposit
of #900,000. Contact Yemi Amodu at Sterling Homes LTD for more information:
Plot 2, River Valley Estate, Ojodu Berger. Mobile 08136119495, 07084546154
Havilah park and garden is an estate located about 6mins
drive off the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. It’s about 25mins drive to Berger
bus-stop. The estate is fenced with a gate house, and our ultra- modern borehole
is already in place. The price of a plot is #630,000 outright, and we still
have other installment plan also. For more information and site inspection call
Yemi Amodu at Sterling Homes LTD: Plot 2, River Valley Estate, Ojodu Berger,
Lagos. Mobile: 07084546154, 08136119495….
Moriah park is situated at Agbowa, Ikorodu. The estate is
facing the Lagos state housing scheme popularly called Fashola estate. It’s
fenced round with a gate house and an industrial borehole has been constructed
at the site as well. It’s selling for a promotional offer of #630,000 outright,
though we still have other installment payment option. For more information and
site inspection, call Yemi at Sterling Homes LTD: Plot 2, River Valley Estate,
Ojodu Berger, Lagos. Mobile: 07084546154, 08136119495
Gibeon park is located at Gberigbe
area of Ikorodu Lagos. The estate is situated off Ijede road Gberibe close to Lagos
state model college Igbokuta, The estate is fenced and gated in a serene
environment. Its neighborhood are Egbin Power Plant, The Metro-Ferry Jetty, Wine
Factory, barachel Park and Garden and numerous estate. For Full Plot (648sqm),
PRICE: #600,000 outright. Flex
plan = #150,000 initial deposit then spread #100,000 for 6months at #750,000
total Easy
plan = #50 monthly for 17months at #850,000 total or get an instant allocation
at #750,000 (50% of total invoice, balance spread for 3months) For Half Plot (324sqm): #350,000
outright payment
TITLE: Registered Survey and Approved Layout plan. Contact
Adeyemi Amodu at Sterling Homes Ltd for more information and site inspections
while it’s still available. Office
address: STERLING HOMES LIMITED; Plot 2, River Valley Estate, Ojodu Berger,
Lagos. Mobile: 07084546154, 08136119495
We will review and take appropriate action.