Shafiur Rahman Farabi, who was sentenced to life in prison in a case over the murder of writer-blogger Avijit Roy, has been released on bail granted by the High Court.

Farabi walked out of Kashimpur High Security Central Jail in Gazipur at 10:15am yesterday, said Senior Jail Superintendent Abdullah Al Mamun.

"Last night, we received the bail-related documents from the High Court. He was released this morning after verification," Mamun said.

The High Court granted bail to Farabi on July 30 following an appeal filed on his behalf.

Avijit, a US-based Bangladeshi writer-blogger, was hacked to death near Dhaka University's TSC on February 26, 2015, as he and his wife Rafida Ahmed Bonya were leaving the Ekushey Book Fair. Bonya was critically injured while trying to shield her husband.

Avijit's father, Prof Ajoy Roy, filed a case with Shahbagh Police Station the following day against unidentified assailants.

After years of trial, a Dhaka tribunal on February 16, 2021, sentenced five members of banned militant group Ansar al Islam to death.

Farabi was handed a life term at the time on charges of threatening to kill Avijit on social media.

Those given the death penalty are Sayed Mohammad Ziaul Haque alias (sacked) Major Zia, Akram Hossain, Abu Siddiq Sohel, Mozammel Hossain Saimon, and Arafat Rahman Siam. Of them, Major Zia and Akram remain absconding.