JMB men face murder charges on Humayun Azad murder case

Police have pressed charges against five members of the banned militant outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) for the 'killing' of Humayun Azad, a Dhaka University professor and renowned writer.

Inspector of Criminal Investigation Department Mohammad Lutfor Rahman submitted two chargesheets to the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court on Sunday, claiming that the Feb 27, 2004 attack on Azad had ultimately caused his death. Azad's dead body was recovered from his apartment on Aug 12 the same year in Germany where he went for research.

He was attacked on the night of Feb 27, 2004 opposite to the Bangla Academy when he was on his way home from the Ekushey Book Fair.

Submitting his plea, Rahman argued that Azad actually died because of the Feb 27 attack and that's why the case that was initially filed on charges of 'attempt-to-murder' should be considered as a 'murder' case.

Sunday's chargesheets were supplementary ones as the previous ones were for the 'attempt-to-murder' charges while the new ones have linked 'murder' under the Explosives Act.

Azad's younger brother and also the plaintiff of the case, Manjur Kabir told that five JMB leaders had been charged.

They are Mohammad Mizanur Rahman Minhaz alias Shafique alias Shaon alias Hamayim alias Hashim, Anwarul Alam alias Bhagne Shahid, Nur Mohammad Shamim alias J M Mobin, Salehin alias Salahuddin alias Sajib alias Tawhid and Hafez Mahmud alias Rakib alias Rasel.

CID Inspector Rahman said names of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee, Chhatra League leaders Abu Abbas Bhuiyan, Golam Mostafa alias Mostofa Mahmud, Abdul Khaleque Goba alias Tiger, Shafique Ullah alias Saad have been excluded from the chargesheet along with JMB leaders Shaikh Abdur Rahman, Ataur Rahman Sunny, Siddiqul Islam Bangla Bhai and Khaled Saifullah as the JMB leaders had already been executed in separate cases.

The name of Nurullah Hafiz has also been dropped as he died before the submission of the charges.