Police delay chargesheet for arresting 'five assailants' of writer-blogger Avijit Roy

Two years on, police are still to submit the chargesheet in the murder of writer-blogger Avijit Roy.

Investigators say they were waiting to arrest the five, who were involved in the assassination of the Bangladeshi American writer, who founded the blog ‘Muktomona’ (free thinkers).

Roy and his wife Rafida Ahmed Bonya were attacked on the night of Feb 26, 2015 on the Dhaka University Campus.

Machete-wielding men attacked the couple as they came out from the Ekushey Book Fair.

Avijit suffered a deep gash on his head and died while Bonya survived but lost a finger in the assault.

Islamist zealots had been threatening Avijit, a bioengineer and a naturalised US citizen, for his active campaign against Islamist radicals, for quite some time.

His father Ajay Roy, a well-known physicist who has taught at the Dhaka University for a long time, started a police case over the incident.

A bioengineer and a naturalised US citizen, Avijit Roy founded the the blog ‘Muktomona’ (free thinkers).

The couple was attacked at the TSC intersection on the Dhaka University campus.

In the last two years, the Detective Branch (DB) pleaded 15 times to the court for extending the deadline to submit the probe report.

Police say they are now clear about the motive and that they have identified the perpetrators.

A senior police officer, who is supervising the probe, said they are conducting raids to nab the five assailants.

"So far, eight persons have been arrested over the killing," said DB Deputy Commissioner Md Mashruqur Rahman Khaled.

Since the killing of Avijit, several others, including online activists, writers, publishers, members from the minority communities have been attacked or killed in similar fashion by machete-wielding attackers, targeting the head to ensure immediate death.

Two suspects in the murder of Avijit Roy seen in this still image taken from CCTV footage released by police.

On Jun 19 last year, police released video footage from a CCTV camera showing Avijit and Bonya being followed by a youth on leaving the Ekushey Book Fair.

Mukul Rana alias Sharif. Mukul Rana alias Sharif. Police claimed that the youth seen in the video was 'Sharif', a 'key operative' of banned group the Ansarullah Bangla Team.

Hours before the footage was released, police informed the media of a man's death in Dhaka's Khilgaon in what they described as a 'shootout', who the law enforcers later identified as Sharif.

Police had said then the 30-year-old used several other aliases like Sakib, Saleh, Arif and Hadi.

The youth was later identified as Mukul Rana by his family.

Explaining the delay over submitting the chargesheet, senior police officer Khaled said, "The chargesheet has to state the name of the suspects. It would be tough to arrest the five assailants if it's filed."

Khaled said the process to bring back the evidences sent to the FBI is underway.

Mukul Rana alias Sharif.

Sacked Bangladesh Army major Syed Ziaul Haque.

The slain writer's father, Ajoy Roy also said police have assured him that the chargesheet will be filed soon.

"According to them, sacked Bangladesh Army major Ziaul Haque masterminded the killing. Police are trying to arrest him. They hope to glean significant information from him," he told bdnews24.com.

Ajoy said, he has 'not lost hope'. "Police believe they will be able to arrest Zia within a few days. There's a Tk 20 million reward on him. Someone will come up with information of him."

Investigators say banned militant group the Ansarullah Bangla Team has rebranded itself as the Ansar Al Islam Bangladesh and perpetrating targeted killings and terror attacks across Bangladesh.

Zia, who was dismissed from the army for attempting a coup in 2012, heads the group's military wing, according to law enforcers.