Shafiur Rahman Farabi, convicted for his involvement in the 2015 murder of Bangladeshi-American writer and blogger Avijit Roy, was granted bail on Wednesday by a Dhaka court.
Farabi, a radical Islamist blogger, was sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the brutal machete attack that claimed Roy’s life in Dhaka in February 2015. The murder, which shocked the nation, drew international condemnation and highlighted the growing threat to secular voices in Bangladesh. Roy was targeted for his advocacy of secularism and free speech, with Farabi having previously issued threats against him on social media.
Investigations revealed that Farabi had shared Roy’s personal information with the attackers, playing a key role in the premeditated nature of the crime. In addition to his involvement in Roy’s murder, Farabi was sentenced to seven years in prison in January 2023 for threatening an imam who had conducted funeral prayers for another murdered blogger, Ahmed Rajib Haider, further cementing his position as a prominent figure in efforts to suppress secular and atheist voices.
The court’s decision to grant Farabi bail comes despite his previous convictions. Five members of the banned militant group Ansar al-Islam were also sentenced to death for their involvement in Roy’s murder.