Existing comment:
Avijit Roy
Mukto-Mona
in Bangladesh
Bangladeshi American blogger Avijit Roy warned that religious extremism was a virus that "will wreak havoc on society in epidemic proportions." He was a frequent target of death threats for his blog Mukto-Mona, which means "Free Mind," and his writings that promoted religious tolerance and free speech. Based in the United States, Roy traveled to Bangladesh regularly for the national book fair. On Feb. 26, 2015, Roy and his wife were leaving the fair when they were ambushed by men armed with machetes. Roy, 43, was hacked to death. His wife was severely wounded. An Islamic militant group claimed responsibility for the attack. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets to demand justice. Four other secular bloggers and writers were murdered in Bangladesh in 2015, including Roy's publisher, in unprecedented attacks on free expression. |