UN, US shocked

The United Nations and the USA have strongly condemned the killing of blogger Avijit Roy and expressed the hope that the perpetrators will be quickly brought to justice through a transparent process of law.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has also condemned the killing saying the attack on Avijit is part of a deadly cycle of violence as a culture of impunity, following such incidents, prevails in Bangladesh.

The US was ready to assist the investigation into the brutal killing, if sought, said US Department of State Spokesperson Jen Psaki in a statement issued on Friday.

"We, of course, will provide consular assistance as is appropriate. We also stand ready to assist in the investigation, if asked," Psaki added.

The spokesperson said this in response to a question if the US administration could at any point ascribe any kind of motive to this and if there was anything more to the murder.

Avijit's killing on Thursday night in the TSC area of Dhaka University triggered strong condemnations from his fellow writers and publishers at home and abroad.

He was the founder of Mukto-Mona (Free-mind) blog site.

Different political, social and cultural organisations including the ruling Awami League and BNP strongly condemned the heinous killing and demanded bringing the perpetrators to the book.

Talking on this issue, UN Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric has said their colleagues in the human rights body condemned the killing.

"On the attack on the blogger, we spoke to our human rights colleagues who obviously condemned the attack," Dujarric said while responding to a question at the regular briefing in the UN headquarters early yesterday.

He said they had observed that it was obviously very important that the space for freedom of expression in the civil society should be upheld in Bangladesh.

In a statement issued on Friday, the CJP also condemned the killing and called on the authorities to investigate thoroughly the murder of the blogger and ensure justice.

"We call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government to leave no stone unturned in investigating and prosecuting the attack on Avijit Roy and Rafida Ahmed Bonya," said CPJ Asia Programme Coordinator Bob Dietz from New York in a statement. 

"This attack is emblematic of the culture of impunity that pervades Bangladesh, where the lack of accountability in previous attacks on the press continues to spurn a deadly cycle of violence," he said, adding that the bloggers and commentators covering religious issues in Bangladesh had been at risk in recent years, according to CPJ research.

Referring news reports published in Bangladesh, the statement also said Islamist groups in 2013 called for execution of bloggers for what they said was committing blasphemy.

Mentioning the killing of blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider in February 2013 and the attack on blogger Asif Mohiuddin, the CPJ added that no-one had been convicted or held responsible.

Avijit, a naturalised US citizen of Bangladeshi origin, had covered secular issues including science, homosexuality, atheism, and free expression on his blog and had published several books on those issues.

He had reported receiving death threats from Islamists to his friends and family and to the UK-based rights organisation the International Humanist and Ethical Union, the statement added.

Avijit and Bonya who were visiting Bangladesh came under attack on Thursday evening by two unidentified men while leaving the book fair in Dhaka. They were taken to a local hospital where Avijit was pronounced dead and Bonya was critically wounded.