Ananta Roy Das (bbc.com)
On March 30, I posted “Death by Blogging,” about the murders of Bangladeshi blogger Washiqur Rhaman and Bangladeshi-American blogger Avijit Roy. The third fatal attack since February occurred today in Bangladesh when Ananta Bijoy Das was chased through the streets of Sylhet by four men wielding machetes.
A banker who spoke out against religious extremism, Mr. Das wrote for “Mukto-Mona” or “Free Mind,” the website once moderated by Mr. Roy. He also edited Logic, a magazine publishing essays on secular humanism.
In 2013, blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider was also murdered. He, Mr. Roy and Mr. Rhaman were all part of the “Shahbag” movement, calling for the death penalty for Islamist political leaders implicated in atrocities during Bangladesh’s war of liberation from Pakistan in 1971.
The leader of Al Qaeda’s Indian branch has claimed responsibility for the deaths of Mr. Roy and Mr. Haider.
Mrs. Roy who was seriously injured when she tried to defend her husband against his assailants, called his murder a “global act of terrorism.” She said that no one from the Bangladeshi government has reached out to her since her husband’s death on February 27.
I shall continue to post updates about the situation in Bangladesh and anywhere else where bloggers and other writers are being persecuted.
The War Against Words must not be taken lightly.
Suburban Hobo 
Horrific…that we are still battling our right to free expression. We can never take this right for granted. They’re are always extremists out there waiting to take this precious right away from us. My heart goes out to all who are still struggling to stay safe and alive and still create their art and speak truth.
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I know, Nancy. We must not forget how much easier it is for us to express ourselves, even though things are far from ideal.
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Terrible. When will we be able to live in a world where we can say/write what we want without fear?
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Oh dear….what a terrible, brutal act of cowardice! You’re so right, Erica! The war against words MUST NEVER be taken lightly!! This is upsetting to many of my friends and I. Thank you for sharing. This makes me angry and sad all rolled up in one emotion…… 😦
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Thanks for reading, Lucie.
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Sometimes I wonder, “is this the 21st century or the dark ages”.
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It is not the dark ages….it’s worse. We seem to be nothing but cave-men who have learned a few tricks.
Wars and persecution will never end as long as Ignorance is allowed to run rampant…
Until there is a war against stupidity, the war against words will drag on for millennia … it will drag on ’cause in the big picture; War = MONEY
Any casual observer of history knows; things that involve primal aspects of human nature, don’t change.
The history of the world is written in blood. Even as I type these words. It’s a consciousness issue.
A shame, ’cause we’re all only here ( In-the-body-on-the-planet) for what amounts to no more than a few nano seconds of cosmic time…. ‘….shame to be wasting it on such lame-ass knuckle dragging bullshit..
All the more reason to align ourselves w/the positive elements of earthly life, waging a personal jihad against ignorance and stupidity –
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Thank you for the post. This crimes are one of the worst on earth. Bangladesh got its independence in 1971 but still now we don’t have the independence to express freely. Sometimes I feel ashamed of myself thinking that what have I done for my country. I believe if there are 200 million people in Bangladesh 150 million are good at heart so can’t we stand up against those 50 million. Lets standup against this, it time to raise our voice.
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Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. I can’t imagine what it must be like for you.
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Thanks for posting this, Erica. It’s dismaying to see such assaults on free speech.
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Terribly tragic. Makes me sick and sad.
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Me too, Chris.
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