Prof Humayun Azad murder case: Prosecution, defence complete arguments

Both the prosecution and defence today completed their arguments in the case filed over the killing of Prof Humayun Azad in February 2004.

During today's closing arguments, the prosecution told the court that they were able to prove the charges against all accused and sought highest punishment for their involvement in this offence.

On the other hand, the defence told the court that the prosecution failed to prove the charges against the accused and they sought acquittal of their clients.

After conclusion of arguments from both the sides, Judge Maksuda Parvin of the Fourth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka asked them to submit their legal opinion on March 4.

The judge will then fix the date for delivery of judgment in the case.

The accused are: Salehin alias Salahuddin, Anwarul Alam alias Anwar, Mizanur Rahman alias Minhaz and Nur Mohammad. Among them, Salehin and Nur are on the run while two others are in jail.

On February 27, 2004, JMB activists stabbed 56-year-old Azad when he was trying to hail a rickshaw to go home from Ekushey Book Fair at Bangla Academy in the capital.

After the attack, Azad was treated at the Combined Military Hospital for 26 days.

The government then sent him to Bangkok for better treatment from and he returned home after over 47 days.

A day after the murder attempt, Azad's brother Manjur Kabir filed an attempt to murder case with Ramna Police Station against some unnamed people.

Dr Azad, a professor of Dhaka University's Bangla department, died from what an autopsy said was a heart attack in Munich on August 12, 2004.