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Secular activist who criticised Islamism killed in Dhaka

Masses of protesters have taken to Dhaka’s streets to call for the cease and punishment of these liable for the murder of a law pupil who criticized Islamism on his Facebook page. Approximately 350 activists from the secular campaigning network…

Masses of protesters have taken to Dhaka’s streets to call for the cease and punishment of these liable for the murder of a law pupil who criticized Islamism on his Facebook page.

Approximately 350 activists from the secular campaigning network Ganajagaran Mancha took component in the demonstration on Thursday after the killing of Nazimuddin Samad in the Bangladeshi capital on Wednesday night.

Samad, 28, was on a successful listing of 84 atheist bloggers that a set of radical Islamists drew up and sent to Bangladesh indoors ministry. His homicide was contemporary in a series of killings of secular activists and bloggers inside the country.

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Syed Nurul Islam, the Dhaka Metropolitan police deputy commissioner, informed Agence France-Presse: “at least four assailants hacked Nazimuddin Samad’s head with a machete on Wednesday night. As he fell, one of them shot him with a pistol from a near variety. He died instant.

“It’s miles a case of centered killing. however, no group has claimed responsibility.” He stated police were looking into whether Samad becomes murdered for his writing.

The Dhaka Tribune stated the assailants shouted Allahu Akbar (God is best) as they attacked Samad on a busy street near Jagannath college, wherein he changed into a law scholar.

On Thursday, the protesters urged the Bangladeshi authorities to take the killing critically, accusing them of getting fostered a tradition of impunity within the beyond.

Closing year, suspected militants hacked to dying as a minimum of four atheist bloggers and a secular writer in one in every sequence of targeted killings within the Muslim-majority country.

Police arrested participants of a banned group called Ansarullah Bangla team over the one’s murders. However, none have yet been prosecuted.

Maruf Rosul, one of the Ganajagaran Mancha activists, informed the mum or dad: “The authorities are developing immunity to all the offenses through not bringing the perpetrators to e-book.
“As opposed to pointing blame at different clothes, the government must perceive the perpetrators and produce them to justice.”

Samad became known to had been important of kingdom faith inside the Bangladeshi constitution. In the first traces detailing his nonsecular perspectives on FB, he said: “Evolution is a scientific fact. Faith and race are [an] invention of the savage and uncivil people.”
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Wafi Chowdhury, a schoolfriend of Samad, stated: “Nazim had lived in hostels since grade six and later moved to a shared room after he joined college.”

Samad had deactivated his Facebook account approximately a month ago at the request of his own family, but Chowdhury brought: “I don’t forget him telling me he would come back on FB soon with a grin.”

Shamir Chandra Sutradhar, an investigations officer at Sutrapur police in Dhaka, informed the parent: “His stay in Dhaka has been only two months. He lived in Sylhet, and most of his circle of relatives individuals are in London.”

Tapan Chandra Saha, a police officer in the rate of the Sutrapur vicinity, said: “We have now not been able to become aware of any suspect. Nazim become both hacked and shot. We have recovered bullet shells from the spot. He has been hacked on the proper facet of his head.”

Imran Sarker, who leads Bangladesh’s biggest online secular activist group and is the top of the Bangladeshi blogger’s affiliation, said Samad had joined nationwide protests in 2013 towards pinnacle Islamist leaders accused of committing warfare crimes at some point of the country’s struggle for independence.

“He turned into a mundane online activist and a loud voice against any social injustice. He was towards Islamic fundamentalism,” Sarker said.

Amnesty global stated the killing was a reminder that the government in Bangladesh is failing to guard human beings’ workout of their proper freedom of expression.

“There can be no justification for the brutal killing of Nazimuddin Samad, who has apparently paid with his lifestyles for not anything, however, being brave enough to talk his thoughts,” said Champa Patel, Amnesty’s South Asia director. “This is not just a mindless homicide; it’s far a blatant assault at the proper to freedom of expression. The Bangladeshi government should categorically condemn those killings and take serious steps to end this bad cycle of violence. The ones liable for the killings of secular activists need to be held to account.”

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Mustakur Rahman, 26, has become friends with Samad after assembly him at college in Sylhet in 2007. Speaking on Birmingham’s smartphone, wherein he now lives, Rahman defined his shock and disbelief at Samad’s death. “Everybody turned into very close [at college]. Suddenly we have misplaced a very near classmate, and it’s miles shocking. I can’t trust it simply happened. It’s a loss for us. We lost our friend. His mum misplaced her child,” he said.

“I can take into account him all the time. He became my buddy. I grew up with him. I had so many reminiscences with him. He used to chuckle very nicely. He was a very smiley guy. I’ve remembered his smile.”

Rahman spoke of ways Samad inspired him and his classmates to join the Bangladesh countrywide Cadet Corps. Samad had been an energetic member, growing to the location of lance corporal.

Rahman stated he had warned Samad about his social media posts, which had been essential of Islamism and religion. “Whatever he posted, I might see as a laugh. however, humans are taking it severely and taking revenge,” he said. “As a friend, I warned him approximately the posts, I don’t want all of us to die early. However, he stated he can’t change his opinion against any faith.

“He didn’t kill each person. To me, he’s an excellent character. He didn’t do whatever incorrect. He wrote something about a selected faith. I’m a believer, but he wasn’t a believer, and maybe he turned into looking to specify what he thinks approximately religion. It’s far an unfastened world, why need to he is killed?

“So I’m very, very shocked. But in Bangladesh, it is a commonplace problem these days. Such a lot of atheists are being killed … For every single event, there may be protests. But after, there is nothing. There will be a protest, we protest, we write on FB. however, that’s it. No justice is popping out.”

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