Farabi, sentenced to life for writer-blogger Avijit Roy murder, released on bail

A high-security prison official says Farabi faces three cases, including for murder

Shafiur Rahman Farabi, who was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of writer and blogger Avijit Roy, has been released on bail.

He walked out of Kashimpur High Security Central Jail in Gazipur around 10:15am on Friday.

Abdullah Al Mamun, the jail superintendent, said: “[Farabi] had been in custody at this prison since 2023. The court’s bail documents arrived at the jail on Thursday afternoon.”

On Feb 26, 2015, Avijit was hacked to death by Islamic militants for his books on religion near Dhaka University’s TSC, just after leaving the Ekushey Book Fair.

His wife, Rafida Ahmed Bonya, was seriously injured in the attack.

Md Asadur Rahman, jailer of the high-security facility, said Farabi faces three separate cases, including for murder.

He has already been convicted in two, with one still pending. Having secured bail in all three cases, he was freed on Friday morning.