Bangladesh boils over bloggers murder

Photograph: Avijit Roy/Facebook

Bangladesh witnessed extensive protests on Friday, as the news of blogger Avijit Roy’s murder caught public attention, sending ripples of shock to his followers, citizens and bloggers. A supporter of atheism and secularism, Roy was attacked and murdered, and wife injured, while the two were on their way back from a book fair.

Unknown assailants attacked Roy, wounding him severely and injuring his wife. The assailants disappeared in the thin air after attacking the two. The two were instantly rushed to the hospital where Roy was declared dead.

Several outraged citizens and activists took it to the streets to protest against Roy’s brutal killing. The BBC reported that hundreds of people had gathered in Dhaka to mourn the bloggers death. Several teachers, members of the blogger community and students were among those who protested.

The police investigators have made no arrests into the killing and said they were looking on for the killers, while probing the matter simultaneously. A local Islamist group, according to the BBC, praised Roy’s killing and police are probing into it.

Photograph: Munir Uz Zaman/AFP/Getty Images

A US-based blogger, known for his views on secularism and stand on atheism, Roy, a Bangladesh-born, had received threats for his views on secularism, his family claimed. Roy had staged views against religious extremism, in his writings, which were disliked by extremists.

Bangladesh administration has condemned his killings and called for thorough probe and quick arrests. The British High Comissioner in Bangladesh, Robert Gibson, too,  expressed shock over Roy’s death while tweeting, “I am shocked by the savage murder of Avijit Roy as I am by all the violence that has taken place in Bangladesh for months in recent months.”

Lamenting over his death, Roy’s family has demanded justice. “This Bangladesh which was built by the blood-sacrifice of the martyrs has now turned into a den of militants,” he was quoted as saying by the BBC.

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About Suyash Karangutkar

Suyash Karangutkar is a young, dedicated and an enthusiastic journalist who has a deep interest in National and International Affairs. He is an ardent political spectator who finds politics fascinating. At Spectralhues, he heads the Mumbai team and covers National Affairs & Politics. He also occasionally writes columns for Spectralhues. He can be followed on Twitter @columnistsuyash