Bangladeshi student who criticised radical Islamists is hacked to death
LONDON -- A Bangladeshi law student who railed against Islamism on his Facebook page has been hacked to death in the capital Dhaka, the latest in a string of murders of secular activists and bloggers in the country.
Nazimuddin Samad, 28, was on a list of targets, along with 83 atheist bloggers, which a group of radical Islamist drew up and delivered to Bangladesh's interior ministry.
You May Also Like
“At least four assailants hacked Nazimuddin Samad’s head with a machete on Wednesday night. As he fell down, one of them shot him with a pistol from close range. He died on the spot,” deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan police Syed Nurul Islam told AFP.
No group has claimed responsibility for the killing, but the Dhaka Tribune reported the attackers shouted "Allahu Akbar" as they attacked him near Dhaka's Jagannath University.
Samad regularly wrote Facebook posts criticising religious extremism in his homeland. A day before the murder, he expressed concerns over the country's law and order in an online post.
On the Facebook "About" section, he explained his religious views: "Evolution is a scientific truth. Religion is an invention of the savage and uncivil people and a powerful tool for exploitation".
The Guardian reported that Samad had deactivated his Facebook account a month ago at the request of his family, but he told a friend he would come back soon "with a grin".
The law student was reportedly very critical of state religion in the Bangladeshi constitution.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Last year, four prominent secular bloggers and activists were hacked to death in the country.
Avijit Roy was hacked to death in February 2015 as he left a university book fair. Washiqur Rahman was murdered in March as he left his house for work. Ananta Bijoy Ras was butchered in May while en route to his job at a bank. And in August, Niloy Neel was killed by a group of men who snuck into his fourth-floor apartment, again armed with machetes, and beheaded him.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
