Bangladesh Blogger, Washiqur Rahman Killed In Knife Attack

The killing of Washiqur Rahman has shocked his family members - and provoked fresh fears for freedom of speech in Bangladesh
The killing of Washiqur Rahman has shocked his family members – and provoked fresh fears for freedom of speech in Bangladesh

A blogger has been knifed to death in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, coming a month after a prominent atheist writer was killed in a similar attack. BBC has more:

Washiqur Rahman was attacked close to his home in Dhaka’s Begunbari area, a police official told AFP news agency. Two students at an Islamic seminary have reportedly been arrested.

Last month, Avijit Roy, a US-based writer who had criticised religious intolerance, was killed in a machete attack while he was visiting Dhaka. His death sparked fresh concerns for freedom of speech in Bangladesh, where several secular-minded writers have been targeted by militants.

Mr Rahman was killed on a busy street in Dhaka. Two of the suspected attackers, armed with meat cleavers, were caught near the scene. The suspects told police they had targeted Mr Rahman because of his anti-Islamic writing, a police official told the Associated Press news agency.

Mr Rahman blogged under a pen-name, Kucchit Hasher Channa, or Ugly Duckling. According to the Dhaka Tribune newspaper, he had criticised irrational religious beliefs.