Suspected militant held over blogger Abhijit murder

Counter terrorism unit of police arrested an alleged member of banned militant outfit Ansar al-Islam in connection with the murder of writer and blogger Abhijit Roy last night from Amin Bazar area, Savar on the outskirts of the capital.

A team of counter terrorism police arrested M Arafat Rahman alias Seyam alias Sazzad, 24, who had a bounty on his head, said a press release today.

Sazzd was an active member of banned militant outfit Ansar al-Islam, previously known as Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), it said, adding that "In the initial interrogation, he confessed that he was involved in attacking the writer and his wife".

Abhijit Roy was hacked to death on the footpath near Dhaka University's TSC after leaving the Bangla Academy premises during Ekushey Book Fair on the night of 26 February in 2015. At that time his wife, Banya Ahmed, also lost a finger in the attack.