On Tuesday, a secular blogger in Bangladesh was killed by men carrying machetes, the third blogger to be murdered in the country this year.
Ananta Bijoy Das, 32, was on his way to work in the city of Sylhet when the attack took place, CNN reports. Das wrote for Mukto-Mona ("Free Thinkers"), a blog started by Bangladeshi-American Avijit Roy, who was killed in February in Dhaka. Mukto-Mona discusses secular topics and features debates focusing on atheism, Islam, and science.
After the attack on another blogger, Washiqur Rahman, earlier this year, NPR spoke with Zafar Sobhan, the editor of the English-language Dhaka Tribune. Sobhan said that the bloggers were "respectful in their critiques," and did not go out of their way to offend people. "They did not critique Islam solely," he said. "They were critical of all organized religions. So it was Islam, Hinduism, Christianity. They have been accused of insulting and abusive language, but I have found no evidence of this."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The 8 best sci-fi series of all timethe week recommends Imagining — and fearing — the future continues to give us compelling and thoughtful television
-
The Trump administration’s plans to dismantle the Department of EducationThe Explainer The president aims to fulfill his promise to get rid of the agency
-
‘These attacks rely on a political repurposing’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
