The United States on Monday announced a $5 million reward for information on absconded killers of two Bangladesh-born American citizens Avijit Roy and his wife Rafida Ahmed, who were killed in Bangladesh capital Dhaka in 2015.
The US Department of State confirmed this in a statement sent to Just News BD.
The reward was offered by the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, through its Rewards for Justice (RFJ) office on Monday.
Secretary of State has authorized a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction in any country of anyone involved in the murder of Roy and the attack on Ahmed, according to the statement.
On February 16, 2021, the Dhaka Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal sentenced five members of the banned extremist outfit Ansar al-Islam, also known as Ansarullah Bangla Team, to death and another to life-term imprisonment for murdering free-thinking blogger and writer Avijit Roy on February 26, 2015.
"This investigation remains open, and we are seeking information that will assist law enforcement agencies in bringing to justice the perpetrators of this heinous terrorist attack," said the State Department media statement.
Six individuals were charged, tried and convicted in Bangladesh. Two of the convicted conspirators, Syed Ziaul Haque (aka Major Zia) and Akram Hussain, were tried in absentia and remain at large.
Two related groups have claimed responsibility. Ansarullah Bangla Team, an al-Qaeda-inspired terrorist group based in Bangladesh, claimed responsibility for the attack. Shortly thereafter, Asim Umar, the now-deceased leader of al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), posted a widely circulated video claiming that AQIS followers were responsible for the attack on Roy and Ahmed.
In 2016, the Department of State designated AQIS as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224, which provides authority to sanction terrorists and those who support terrorists or terrorist acts.
More information about this reward offer is located on the Rewards for Justice website at www.rewardsforjustice.net .
Anyone with information on this incident should text RFJ via Signal, Telegram, or Whatsapp at +1 (202) 702-7843. All information will be kept strictly confidential.
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