Space shrinking for free thinkers

The space for practicing free thinking is shrinking in the country, while communalism and militancy are spreading alarmingly, eminent citizens observed at a discussion yesterday.

They urged people to raise their voice to eliminate the vices.

The whole South Asia is plagued with fundamentalism, communalism, and extreme religious fanaticism today, said Prof Ajay Roy, father of slain writer-blogger Avijit Roy.

"We are going through a critical time now," he told the discussion, "Militant fundamentalism in Bangladesh: Free- thinking is constrained", in the capital's Bilia auditorium.

Ekatturer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee organised the discussion on the 94th birth anniversary of late National Professor Kabir Chowdhury.

Prof Ajay said militant groups were carrying out extremist activities by targeting and killing free-thinkers in different names.

They have already killed bloggers Ahmed Rajib Haider, Avijit Roy, Oyasiqur Rahman, Ananta Bijoy Das, Niladri Chattopadhyay, and publisher Faisal Arefin Dipon, he said.

"But the killers are still out of the police radar. This failure makes us more anxious."

Eminent journalist and cultural personality Kamal Lohani also expressed frustrations over the law enforcers' failure to protect the free-thinkers.

"They are talking about zero-tolerance against militants. But we saw Avijit and some other bloggers were killed brutally."

Kamal Lohani said Prof Kabir Chowdhury was truly secular in his thought and actions. The educationist used to guide free–thinkers to brave all obstacles, he added.