‘Shibir leader behind Rajib murder’

Five expelled North South University students on Sunday confessed that they killed blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider as per a plan and direction by their senior ‘Rana’, an Islami Chhatra Shibir leader now on the run.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 10 March 2013, 01:44 PM
Updated : 10 March 2013, 01:44 PM

Police’s Detective Branch Inspector Mainul Islam, investigation officer of the case, produced them before the court where they expressed willingness to confess to their crimes.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Harun-or-Rashid recorded the confessions that continued from 1pm to 8pm.

Citing confession records, Mainul told bdnews24.com that ‘Intel Group’ members Ehsanur Reza Roman, Maksudul Hassan Anik and Nayeem Sikder played cricket in front of Rajib’s residence on the previous day of his killing to be confirmed about his identity and his house.

He said ‘Execution Group’ members Faisal Bin Nayeem and Nafis Imtiaz took part in the killing after the intelligence members confirmed them about his identity.

They were arrested in Dhaka on Mar 8 and subsequently expelled by their university.

Plot to murder Rajib was done months back, he said. “He was identified through the browsing of his Facebook status updates.”

General Recording Officer of the police Moksed Ali said the detained were sent to jail after their confession.

Rajib Haider was hacked to death at Pallabi in Dhaka in the night of Feb 15, the tenth day of Shahbagh protests.

A blood-stained laptop was found beside his body by the police. Some strands of hair were found in his fist that police believe were those of the killers.

Two machetes, four knives, one bicycle, one pair of shoes, seven cellphones and a schoolbag were also recovered from them during the arrest.

A Dhaka court asked the Forensic Department chief of Dhaka Medical College to arrange DNA test of the blood stains and the hairs.

Rajib’s relatives and friends blamed the Jamaat-e-Islami, whose several leaders are facing trials at the International Crimes Tribunals, for the murder, saying he was killed for the blogs he used to write to bring 'war criminals' to justice.

Shahbagh's 'Ganajagaran Mancha' described Rajib as ‘the first martyr’ of the movement which seeks death for war criminals and a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front Chhatra Shibir.