| Human Rights Center for Bangladesh(HRCB) |
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
March 13, 2015
Human Rights Center for Bangladesh (HRCB) condemns the murder of Dr. Avijit Roy, writer, free-thinker and founder of “Mukto-Mona”.
Dr. Avijit Roy, a bio-engineer and a naturalized US citizen, writer, free-thinker and an advocate of secularism, was hacked to death near TSC intersection at Dhaka University area by machete-wielding assailants as he along with his wife, Rafida Ahmed Bonya, was returning from Amar Ekushey Book Fair on Feb 26, 2015 evening minutes after they came out of the book fair.
Islamic religious radicals have been threatening Avijit for his writings.
“Thursday’s attack bore a striking similarity to the one on legendary writer Humayun Azad in February 2004. Azad was also returning home from the Ekushey Book Fair, when he was hacked with machetes by radical militants. He later died in Germany while undergoing treatment. Militants also hacked blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider to death in a similar attack near his home in Dhaka’s Mirpur in February 2013.” bdnews24.com.
"Free thinking in Bangladesh has become a great danger, all the free thinkers are at great risk," writer-journalist Shahriar Kabir said.
HRCB calls on the government of Bangladesh to promptly and fully investigate this brutal killing and to bring the perpetrators to justice. Bangladesh is a signatory to United Nations Human Rights and the government must take the responsibility to hunt down the criminals and give them exemplary punishments. The state has the obligation to stop the vicious culture of impunity for attacks and premeditated murders of bloggers.
HRCB calls on Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat, Ambassador, United States Embassy, Dhaka, Bangladesh, to take up the cause of justice in this brutal killing, and exert influence to demand a thorough investigation and a relentless pursuit to bring the perpetrators to justice, with the highest echelons of the Bangladesh Government.
HRCB has been monitoring the actions taken by the government of Bangladesh to bring perpetrator to justice and we will continue to do so until perpetrators are given exemplary punishments.
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