TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
|
Falgun 19, 1421, Jamadiul Awal 11, 1436
MANNA USED KHOKA TO REACH KHALEDA PAGE 3
|
Regd No DA 6238, Vol 2, No 327
|
IRAQ FORCES ADVANCE ON TIKRIT PAGE 11
‘Avijit got what he deserved’
Shafiur Rahman Farabi, prime suspect in the Avijit killing, has said during interrogation that the slain blogger-writer “has got what he deserved.” Although he claimed that he had nothing to do with the murder, Farabi praised the incident saying Avijit got the reward for mocking religion. Ziaul Ahsan, additional director general (ADG) of RAB, told these to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. Earlier in the day, Rapid Action Battalion brought Farabi in front of reporters and said he had been nabbed from the capital’s Jatrabari around 5:30am; he was trying to leave for Chittagong. Meanwhile, seeking anonymity, a high official of RAB told the Dhaka Tribune that analysing CCTV footage from around the crime scene, they had identified five people who were following Avijit and his wife Bonna from the book fair premises. “In the footage, one of those five men could be seen pointing at the couple when
PAGE 6 Cabinet okays draft for amending Battalion Ansar Act
Five people, who were following Avijit and Bonna, have been identified from CCTV footage Farabi had been posting photographs and news about Avijit and his family on social media for a long time and instigate others against him, Commander Khan said. “On Thursday, one of his Facebook friends posted a photograph of Avijit soaked in blood and asked Farabi whether he had seen that photo. In reply, Farabi said yes.
PAGE 7 Jail Khal, lifeline of Barisal city, shrivels up
Who is Farabi? n Tribune Report
“After that, Farabi wrote in a status update that he would be arrested within a day or two,” Commander Khan said at the briefing. The RAB director also cited another widely-discussed post put up by Farabi on social media in which he said Avijit would be killed once he came to Bangladesh from the USA. In reply to a query, Commander Khan said: “No accused ever admit involvement right away. Information come out only after interrogation. We are still not sure whether Farabi was directly involved with the killing or not.” According to RAB, Farabi said during primary investigation that he came across Avijit Roy five years ago as both of them used to blog. At one point, they got into a conflict of opinions. Around two years ago, Avijit blocked Farabi. But Farabi kept on sending messages and threats using other media. In 2010, Farabi, a former student of physics at the Chittagong University, joined banned Islamist militant outfit Hizb-ut Tahrir. At that time, he got arrested and spent about a month in jail for his militancy links. He never completed his studies. PAGE 2 COLUMN 3
PAGE 2 COLUMN 3
MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
RAB: Farabi shows no remorse, denies involvement in the murder they were leaving the fair. Later, they went away and another team started following Avijit and Bonna,” the RAB official said. While addressing a briefing at the force’s headquarters in Uttara in the capital, Commander Mufti Mahmud Khan, director of the Legal and Media Wing of RAB, told reporters yesterday that they have proofs that Farabi was involved with the killing.
KHALEDA TO SKIP COURT? PAGE 4
The Facebook profile of Shafiur Rahman Farabi has become a centre of motivation for the supporters of radical Islamist parties and groups because of his harsh stance against secular forces, especially the progressive bloggers. Until February 25, a day before blogger Avijit Roy was killed on Dhaka University campus, he had been posting statuses and comments on Facebook, condemning and defaming Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the 1971 Liberation War. He also criticised the law enforcers’ action during the BNP-Jamaat-led 20-party’s blockade and hartal programmes aimed at uprooting the government. He has over 26,500 followers on the social network. As per his posts, Farabi supports extremist Ansarullah Bangla Team chief Jasim Uddin Rahmani and Hefazat-e-Islam’s 13-point movement and respects daily Amar Desh acting editor Mahmudur Rahman. Both Jasim and Mahmudur are now in jail and facing charges of inciting violence in the name of religion. Farabi also operates a blog after his name where he writes about bloggers terming them atheists. He also claims that the Gita and the Vedas – Hindu sacred texts – were written by the British rulers during the 18th century. Despite doing these activities while also on bail in a case filed over issuing death threat to an imam of a mosque, Farabi was instigating extremism actively through his Facebook profile and blog site. Earlier, he threatened to kill Avijit several times through Facebook which inspired his followers. He also threatened blogger and architect Ahmed Rajeeb Haider with dire consequences, before the latter had been killed on February 15, 2013. Farabi labelled both Rajeeb and Avijit as atheists and Islamists. He threatened the imam as he had administered the funeral prayers of Rajeeb. Seven Ansarullah activists, who were also students of North South University, and their guru Jasim have been charged with Rajeeb murder. The Rapid Action Battalion, which arrested Farabi yesterday, said he had been involved with banned outfit Hizb ut-Tahrir since 2010. Hailing from Brahmanbaria, Farabi completed SSC from Kendua Joyhori High School, Netrakona and later passed HSC from Notre Dame College, Dhaka. He got admitted to Chittagong University to study physics in 2005-06 session.
RAB personnel take Shafiur Rahman Farabi to a press conference at the force’s headquarters in Uttara yesterday
n Mohammad Jamil Khan
www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages | Price: Tk10
PAGE 8 BCL men fell hundred trees in Barisal
PAGE 9 Ongoing unrest takes a heavy toll on Sonahat land port