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Killing sparks anger, outcry

Staff Correspondent
Outraged by the brutal killing of secular writer-blogger Avijit Roy, hundreds of students, teachers, rights and online activists, bloggers and others yesterday staged protest rallies and demanded immediate arrest of the killers.
Pointing the finger at "anti-liberation and fundamentalist forces", the protesters said if the government fails to punish them, the country would become a risky place for anyone who believes in freedom of thought.
Addressing a rally titled "Akranto Muktochinta | Freethinking under attack]" at the TSC roundabout on Dhaka University campus, cultural personality Kamal Lohani said, "The current turmoil began mainly because the anti-liberation and fundamentalist forces are still active in the country."
Columnist Abul Maksud said, "Bangladesh has become an extremely dangerous place for progressive people... But we cannot let them | fundamentalists] win."
Unidentified assailants, believed to be Islamist extremists, hacked Avijit Roy to death and badly wounded his wife Rafida Ahmed Banna on DU campus Thursday night while the couple were coming out of the Ekushey Boi Mela.
Rights activist Hamida Hossain said, "Some on-duty policemen were very close to the spot where Abijit was killed. Then what kind of duty were they performing?"
In a demonstration at Shahbagh, Gonojagoron Mancha spokesperson Imran H Sarker said they would “stay on the roads" until "the self-proclaimed fundamentalist killers” arearrested.
Same demands were voiced at another demonstration on the Bangla Academy premises around 5:30pm. Director General of the academy Shamsuzzaman Khan, historian Muntassir Mamoon and publishers attended the protest programme. "ATTACK ON SECULAR TH OUGHTS" A platform of eminent citizens yesterday condemned the killing of Avijit Roy, and said it was an attack on freethinking and secular spirits.
"From the nature of Avijit's murder, we suspect that the same religious fanatics, who masterminded the killings of Dr Humayun Azad, Dr Taher and Dr Yunus, may have done this," the platform, Bangladesh Rukhe Darao (BRD), said in a statement.
BRD President Dr Anisuzzaman, Convener advocate Sultana Kamal, Kamal Lohani, Sarwar Ali, Nasimun Ara Huq, Abed Khan, Syed Shamsul Haq, Ziauddin Tarik Ali, Rasheda K Chowdhury, Dr MM Akash, advocate Supriyo Chakrabarty, Kaberi Gayen, Motahar Akanda, Laisa Ahmed Lisa and Jinat Ara Huq signed the statement.
Meanwhile, Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee in a press release demanded trial of the killers of Avijit, and of those who had killed blogger Rajib Haider and other secular people, and attacked Prof Humayun Azad.
Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Samprodaikota-Jongibad Birodhi Mancha, Sammilita Samajik Andolon and Bangladesh Online Activist Forum also protested the murder.