A Dhaka court on Wednesday sentenced four people to death for killing former Dhaka University teacher and writer Prof Humayun Azad in 2004. Dhaka’s fourth additional metropolitan sessions judge AL Mamun handed down the punishment and also imposed a fine of  Tk 50,000 on each of the convicts. Read: JMB man gets 5 yrs imprisonment in Chattogram The convicts are Mizanur Rahman alias Minhaz alias Shafiq, Anwar Alam alias Bhagne Shahid, Salehin alias Salahuddin and Nur Mohammad alias Sabu. While Minhaz and Anwar were present in the court, the two others were tried in absentia. Earlier, the court had fixed the judgment date after prosecution and defence lawyers concluded their arguments on March 27. On February 27 in 2004, Humayun sustained serious injuries when some assailants hacked him indiscriminately at Amar Ekushey Book Fair on Bangla Academy premises. The following day, Humayun's brother Manjur Kabir lodged a complaint of attempted murder with the Ramna police. After the attack, he underwent treatment at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka for 22 days and then at a hospital in Bangkok for 48 days. He was shifted to Germany the same year, where he died on August 12. Following his death, police had registered a murder case. On November 14, 2007, Kazi Abdul Malek, inspector of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted a chargesheet against five militants, including the chief of banned militant outfit Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) Shayokh Abdur Rahman. However, on March 30 of the same year, Shayokh Abdur Rahman and Ataur Rahman were hanged in another murder case of two judges in Jhalakahti. Read: Niko graft case: Charge framing hearing deferred again to May 24 After re-investigation, CID inspector Lutfar Rahman, the main investigating officer in the case, pressed charges against the five accused on April 30 in 2012. Of them, Hafiz Mahmud died during the trial proceedings. Meanwhile, two accused Salahuddin alias Salehin and Rakibul Hasan alias Hafiz Mahmud were freed from a prison van on February 23 in 2014. However, Rakib was caught that night and later died in a "gunfight" with the police.

A Dhaka court is slated to deliver its judgment in the murder case of former Dhaka University teacher and writer Prof Humayun Azad on Wednesday. Dhaka’s fourth additional metropolitan sessions judge fixed the judgment date after prosecution and defence lawyers concluded their arguments on March 27. Read: Niko graft case: Charge framing hearing deferred again to May 24 On February 27 in 2004, Humayun sustained serious injuries when some assailants hacked him indiscriminately at Amar Ekushey Book Fair on Bangla Academy premises. The following day, Humayun's brother Manjur Kabir lodged a complaint of attempted murder with the Ramna police. After the attack, he underwent treatment at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka for 22 days and then at a hospital in Bangkok for 48 days. He was shifted to Germany the same year, where he died on August 12. Following his death, police had registered a murder case. On November 14, 2007, Kazi Abdul Malek, inspector of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted a chargesheet against five militants, including the chief of banned militant outfit Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) Shayokh Abdur Rahman. However, on March 30 of the same year, Shayokh Abdur Rahman and Ataur Rahman were hanged in another murder case of two judges in Jhalakahti. Read: JMB man gets 5 yrs imprisonment in Chattogram After re-investigation, CID inspector Lutfar Rahman, the main investigating officer in the case, pressed charges against the five accused on April 30 in 2012. The accused in the case are Mizanur Rahman alias Minhaz alias Shafiq, Anwar Alam alias Bhagne Shahid, Salehin alias Salahuddin, Hafiz Mahmud and Nur Mohammad alias Sabu. Among them, accused Nur Mohammad alias Sabu is absconding. Meanwhile, two accused Salahuddin alias Salehin and Rakibul Hasan alias Hafiz Mahmud were freed from a prison van on February 23 in 2014. However, Rakib was caught that night and later died in a "gunfight" with the police.