Always was on hit list

The brutal murder of Avijit Roy in a place covered by a multi-tier security has raised serious questions over law enforcers' response.

Witnesses said police were close by when two assailants hacked the 42-year-old writer and his wife Rafida Ahmed Bonya with machetes near TSC on Dhaka University campus on Thursday night. 

They alleged some cops looked on as the attackers melted into the crowds coming out of the Ekushey Boi Mela at the time. 

Bonya screamed for help, but no one came forward.

Contacted, Shibli Noman, assistant commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said although law enforcers were in the area, they were not at the murder scene. Besides, he added, the attack lasted only two minutes and the assailants fled before police could act.

For more than a year, some religious fanatics have been threatening to kill Avijit once they would get to lay their hands on him. And within 13 days of his return to Bangladesh from the US, the progressive blogger was murdered.      

The couple were attacked around 8:45pm while returning from the book fair where three of Avijit's books have been published this year.

Bonya, herself a writer and blogger, suffered multiple head injuries and lost a finger. She is being treated at Square Hospital with her condition improving. 

Outraged by the attack, students, teachers, intellectuals and eminent citizens demonstrated on the Dhaka University campus and said law enforcers failed to protect him.

Police say they have no clues to the murder yet.

But comments and photos uploaded on social media may offer some hints, beginning with the    issuance of the death threat since last year.

Some groups are even celebrating the murder, with one group claiming responsibility.

"Allahu Akbar [Allah is great]!!! Brothers We can!!! Target down here in # Bangladesh," tweeted an account named Ansar Bangla 7 at 9:12pm on Thursday, barely half an hour after the attack.

On Thursday midnight, the same account posted a bloodied photo of Avijit and Bonya, saying: "May be its Avijit Roy's bloody wife Husband's Head. #Beheaded He was a top Target 4 last 3/4 years." 

Earlier on January 25 last year, a Facebook post of Farabi Shafiur Rahman said, "It's a holy duty of Bangalee Muslims to kill Avijit."

Then on February 9 last year, he commented on a Facebook post: "Avijit Roy cannot be killed now. He lives in America. But he will certainly be killed once he is back."

Farabi, of Chittagong, had been arrested for his provocative comments on social media after the murder of blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider in a similar attack in the capital's    Mirpur in 2013. He was later released on bail.  

Police say they are aware of Farabi's controversial blogging and his issuance of threats to some bloggers.

Shibli Noman, the assistant commissioner, said cops were trying to obtain the footage from the Bangla Academy that has installed about 70 CCTV cameras on and around the book fair premises.

In the killing of Rajib Haider, police found involvement of Ansarullah Bangla Team, a militant outfit. Six members of the outfit -- all students of North South University -- are behind bars.

Farabi first made headlines by hailing the murder of Rajib, who was an architect, blogger and Shahbagh Movement activist. Farabi even went on to warn that if any imam administered the "atheist" blogger's funeral prayers, he would be killed as well.

Avijit, who was a Georgia-based software engineer and wrote eight books on religion, philosophy and other issues, had been locked in arguments on social media with Farabi ever since the death threat came.

His most acclaimed titles are "Biswaser Virus" (Virus of Faith) and "Sunyo theke Mahabiswa" (From Vacuum to the Universe).

Last year, Rakamari.com, an online bookstore, removed Avijit's books from its list following threats by Farabi.

Avijit was also the founder of Mukto-Mona blog, a platform of progressive, secular bloggers. After his death, the site went black with the message: "We're saddened, but not defeated."  

Meanwhile, Avijit's father Ajay Roy filed a murder case yesterday against some unknown persons.

Talking to the media, he said militants were responsible for his son's murder.

"We asked him not to come [Bangladesh]. But he simply shrugged it off and said he would not mind if that was meant to be," said Keya Barman, his sister-in-law. 

The family decided to donate Avijit's body to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for research.

Avijit had come to the country on February 16 to attend the book fair. He was to fly back to the US on March 4.