Justice nears in blogger Niloy murder case after a decade

Banglapress Published: 23 September 2025, 10:25 AM

Justice nears in blogger Niloy murder case after a decade

Bangla Press Desk: Nearly a decade after blogger Niladri Chattopadhyay Niloy, popularly known as Niloy Neel, was hacked to death in his Dhaka flat, the long-running murder trial is finally nearing its conclusion. The case is being tried at the Dhaka First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court, where testimony progresses swiftly, according to court sources. Of the 15 listed witnesses, five have already testified, including Niloy’s wife, Asha Moni, who is also the complainant. Prosecutors expect the trial to conclude within the next four hearings.

“The case is in its final stage. We may not need to hear from all the witnesses,” said Mohammad Billal Hossain, public prosecutor of the court. “In the last two months alone, four witnesses have testified. The investigation officer is scheduled to appear next.” Court records show that Asha Moni was the first to testify in August 2022. No witnesses appeared for nearly two years afterward, but the pace of testimony picked up recently, with Shamsul Kabir, Sanjida Khanam, Md Shamim Hossain, and Sub-inspector Anwar giving statements in June and July this year. “It has been a decade just seeking justice. “We are still waiting, but we remain hopeful,” said Asha Moni, Niloy’s widow. According to the case documents, Niloy was killed on 7 August 2015, in his rented flat in Dhaka’s Goran area.

He had returned from the market around 12:15pm. He was using his laptop in the bedroom after a shower when four unidentified men, pretending to inquire about a rental, entered the apartment. They attacked him with sharp weapons and left around 1:20pm after ensuring he was dead. His wife filed a murder case at Khilgaon police station the same day, naming four unidentified assailants. After five years of investigation, on 4 October 2020, the Detective Branch submitted a charge sheet against 13 individuals to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Dhaka.

Formal charges were framed on 18 January 2022. The accused include expelled army major Syed Md Ziaul Haque, named as the prime suspect. Others charged are Masum Rana, Sad Al Nahin, Md Kawsar Hossain Khan, Md Kamal Hossain Sardar, Maulana Mufti Abdul Gaffar, Md Mortuza Faisal Sabbir, Md Tarequl Alam alias Tareq, Khairul Islam alias Jamil/Rifat/Fahim/Jisan, Abu Siddiq Sohel alias Sakib/Shahab, Mozammel Hossain Saimon, Md Arafat Rahman and Md Sheikh Abdullah alias Jubayer. The murder of Niloy Neel, known for his secular and progressive writings, shocked the nation and drew international condemnation. This article was originally published on Daily Sun. [Bangla Press is a global platform for free thought. It provides impartial news, analysis, and commentary for independent-minded individuals. Our goal is to bring about positive change, which is more important today than ever before.] B P/SP

[Bangla Press is a global platform for free thought. It provides impartial news, analysis, and commentary for independent-minded individuals. Our goal is to bring about positive change, which is more important today than ever before.]