US blogger hacked to death in Bangladesh

Dhaka, February 27

A prominent US blogger has been hacked to death and his wife seriously injured in Bangladesh by unknown attackers, days after receiving threats from Islamists for writing against religious fundamentalism.

Avijit Roy, 44, had come to the country on February 16 to attend the a book fair where three of his books have been published this year. He was to fly back to the US on March 4, said his younger brother Anujit Roy.

Roy, a Bangladesh-born US citizen, was killed and his wife, Rafida Ahmed Bonna, was seriously injured in the attack yesterday.

Roy recently received threats from militants for his progressive books and blog posts, Dhaka Tribune reported. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The condition of Bonna, 40, who was undergoing treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, was said to be stable but critical.

The attack on Roy resembles the one on noted writer Prof Humayun Azad and bloggers Rajib Haidar and Asif Mohiuddin, said police officer Sirajul Islam.

“We are still unclear about the identity of the criminals. But, police suspect that those who attacked Prof Humayun Azad are behind this attack as well. There are similarities between the style of the two attacks,” Islam said.

The couple was returning from the book fair when they were stopped by an autorickshaw. Three men got down and started hacking them mercilessly with machetes, the report said. — PTI