More time for police to file report in Xulhaz, Tonoy murders

A Dhaka court has granted police more time to submit investigation reports in the two cases filed over the murders of gay rights activist Xulhaz Mannan and his friend and theatre activist Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy.

The Detective Branch (DB), which is in charge of investigating the cases, was scheduled to file its report on Tuesday.

One case pertains to the murders while the other has been filed under the Arms Act.

The investigating officers, DB Inspectors Bahauddin Faruqi and Nurul Afsar pleaded for more time and the court fixed Feb 8.

Court police's Nurul Islam said the date has been deferred for the ninth time.

Xulhaz and Tonoy were killed in a machete attack by a gang of assailants, who posing as delivery men, entered Xulhaz’s apartment building in Dhaka’s Kalabagan on Apr 25 last year.

Xulhaz was a USAID official and also editor of Bangladesh’s first LGBT magazine 'Roopbaan'.

The 35-year-old was a cousin of former foreign minister and ruling Awami League leader Dipu Moni.

He studied international relations at the Dhaka University and joined the US embassy in 2007 before taking up what would turn out to be his last assignment at USAID.

Tonoy, 26, was involved with the theatre group Lok Natyadal. He worked as a drama trainer for children at an organisation going by the name of Peoples Theatre.