Xulhaz-Tonoy murder: Death sentences of Zia, 7 others sought

The state has pleaded for death sentences of eight accused including Major (sacked) Ziaul Huq Zia in the murder case of rights activist Xulhaz Mannan and his friend Khandker Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy.

Slain Xulhaz Mannan was an employee of the United States embassy in Dhaka and protocol officer of former US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W. Mozena. Tonoy was associated with People's Theatre, a children's organisation of Loko Natya Dal.
After placing the arguments at Anti-Terrorism Tribunal in Dhaka on Sunday, the state prosecutor Golam Sarwar Khan made the plea.

After placing the arguments by the state prosecutor, the defence lawyer Nazrul Islam stared placing his arguments. However, it was not over.

Tribunal's judge Mojibar Rahman fixed Monday for placing the resr of the arguments.

Charge was framed in this sensational double-murder case at Kalabagan in the capital on November 19 last year.

The accused are Syed Md Ziaul Huq alias Major Zia (sacked army major),  Akram Hossain, Sabbirul Huq Chowdhury, Maulana Zunaid Ahmad Maulana Zunaid, Mozammel Husayn Saimon, Arafat Rahman, Sheikh Abdullah and Asadullah.

The murders were carried out on instructions of Maj (sacked) Zia, according to the charge sheet.

Of the accused, Zia, Akram, Sabbirul and Zunaid have been absconded, while the four others are in jail.

Xulhaz and Tonoy were hacked to death inside Xulhaz’s Kalabagan flat on April 25, 2016.

Later, Xulhaz Mannan's elder brother Minhaz Mannan Imon filed a murder case with Kalabagan police station. Afterward, Kalabagan police station's sub-inspector Mohammad Shamim filed another case under arms act.

Following the submission of charge sheet, the case was shifted to the Anti-Terrorism Tribunal in Dhaka on February 22, 2019 for trial of the case.

All the arrestees are the members of military and intelligence wing of the outfit, according to Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) officials.

SZA