No witnesses, no verdict: Niloy Neel murder case drags on

A decade after blogger Niladri Chattopadhyay Niloy, popularly known as Niloy Neel who was known for his atheist views, was hacked to death in his Dhaka flat, the murder trial remains stuck at the witness testimony stage, with no clear end in sight.
The case, being heard at the Dhaka First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court, has seen no progress in witness testimony for the past year, according to court sources.
Of the 15 listed witnesses, only five have testified so far, including complainant Asha Moni, Niloy’s wife, who gave her statement first in August 2022. 
Nearly two years passed with no further testimony until last year, when Shamsul Kabir, Sanjida Khanam, Md Shamim Hossain and Sub-Inspector Anwar deposed in June and July. Since then, the case has again ground to a halt.
Court sources said witnesses failed to appear on the last scheduled date, 21 June, despite repeated summonses and non-bailable warrants, as they could not be traced. 
The court has now set 17 August as the next date, summoning the magistrate and issuing a non-bailable warrant for the investigating officer.
Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruqui said the witnesses could not be located despite efforts to produce them before the court. 
“One investigating officer has already testified. We are making our utmost efforts to produce the witnesses before the court,” he said. “If they still cannot be located, the case will proceed to final arguments. We hope the trial will conclude soon.”
Defence counsel Md Nazrul Islam blamed the witnesses’ non-appearance for the prolonged trial. 
“Even after the court issues non-bailable warrants, the witnesses do not appear. As a result, the case has remained pending for years. If the witnesses do not show up, there is nothing we can do either,” he said.
Niloy’s wife, Asha Moni, expressed frustration at the delay, saying she still awaits justice for her husband, who was killed barely two years into their marriage. 
“Niloy was an innocent man. I see no justification for his brutal killing,” she said, adding that she has lived with his memory ever since. 
“I still hope for justice, but I don’t know when – or even if – it will come.”
According to case documents, Niloy was killed on 7 August 2015 at his rented flat in Dhaka’s Goran area. 
He had returned from the market and was using his laptop after showering when four unidentified men, posing as prospective tenants, entered the flat, attacked him with sharp weapons, and left around an hour later after ensuring he was dead. 
His wife filed a murder case at Khilgaon police station the same day.
After five years of investigation, the Detective Branch submitted a charge sheet against 13 people on 4 October 2020, with formal charges framed on 18 January 2022. 
Three accused, including expelled Army major Syed Md Ziaul Haque, remain absconding. 
The rest are Masum Rana, Sad Al Nahin, Md Kamal Hossain Sardar, Maulana Mufti Abdul Gaffar, Md Mortuza Faisal Sabbir, Md Tarequl Alam, Khairul Islam, Mozammel Hossain Saimon, Md Arafat Rahman and Md Sheikh Abdullah.