Police watch as Avijit killers flee
The TSC intersection was crowded and more so due to the book fair, Ekushey Boi Mela. There were police all around, providing tight security. Despite such security, the assailants killed Avijit Roy and easily fled the scene.
This has given rise to serious questions about sincerity of the law enforcers to provide security to life.
Many witnesses said armed police personnel were there, but just watched on in silence. They didn't even chase the attackers.
Avijit's father, Ajay Kumar Roy, a retired professor of physics at Dhaka University, said angrily, "Perhaps the police couldn't have prevented my son's killing, but they could have caught the killers instead of standing there like statues."
SM Shibli Noman, senior assistant commissioner (AC) of Ramna zone, said, "The police thought there was a fight going on. They couldn't imagine such an incident would occur."
Avijit, the founder of Mukto Mona blog, was hacked to death near the Milon Square on the Dhaka University campus, on the footpath adjacent to Suhrawardy Uddyan. His wife Rafida Ahmed Banna was seriously injured in the incident and is now under treatment at Square Hospital.
Everyday thousands of people cross the spot where Avijit was murdered, going and coming from the book fair. The site of murder is just yards away from the TSC. The police put up a barrier at TSC intersection and guard the area throughout the mnth of February. The Shahbagh police station is not also far away from the spot.
There is round the clock police surveillance in the area, at the Shahbagh intersection, the book fair, Doel Square, Fuller Road corner, Nilkhet and all the entrances of the campus.
The police may not have understood what was going on, but Avijit had already received threats to his life. After the murder, a group called Ansar Bangla-7 tweeted that they were responsible for his death. A police officer involved in the investigations, said that they feel that militants are connected to this killing.
Avijit's father lodged a general diary with the Shahbagh police station on Friday morning, about the murder. He did not name anyone or any reason for the murder.
However, speaking to Prothom Alo from his house, he said an extremist militant group had killed Avijit because of the writings on his blog. They were assisted by Jamaat-Shibir, he alleged. The police hadn't arrested anyone in this connection.
Senior official of the detective branch (DB) of police inspected the site at around 1pm on Friday. DB's deputy commission (south), Krishnapada Roy, said, "The DB hasn't officially been given responsibility to investigate the case as yet, but work has begun. We are looking into the matter. No one has been caught as yet."
When asked if there was any similarity between this incident and previous militant attacks, Krishnapada Roy said, "Each incident is separate. The pattern of each incident is separate. The victims are separate. We are working on it, but can't give any timeframe. We will try our utmost to catch the criminals."
AC of Ramna zone Shibli Noman said, a group called Ansar Bangla-7 have claimed responsibility on Twitter for the murder and are heralding this as a 'victory'.
The police said that the first tweet was posted at around Thursday midnight, where it was written, "Allahu Akbar... a great success in Bangladesh today. Target is down...." The next tweet shared a picture of Avijit and his wife, and stated, "The anti-Islam blogger American-Bengali Avijit Roy has been killed in the capital city Dhaka for crimes against Islam."
A picture was posted of Avijit's wife, covered in blood on the ground next to Avijit, with the caption, "Exclusive!" It was written, "This is the blood soaked wife of Avijit Roy holding her husbands head. He has been beheaded. He has been a target for the last three or four years."
Informed sources say writer-blogger Avijit Roy had been number four on the killing list of the terrorist group Ansarullah Bangla. DB officers say they were given this information by five Ansarullah Banga followers and five students of North South University who had been arrested for killing blogger Rajiv Haider in February 2013.
Deputy commissioner Mollah Nazrul Islam, the investigating officer of the Rajiv murder case, told Prothom Alo, that the fiver students of North South Universiy - Ahsan Reza, Feisal, Nayeem Sikdar alias Irad, Nafis Imtiaz and Maqsudul Hasan alias Anik - had told the police during interrogations that they would attend the sermons or Mufti Jasimuddin Rahmani, head of the Ansarullah Bangla team. In his sermons, Jasimuddin Rahmani would incite his followers to kill the bloggers who were insulting the Prophet Mohammad (SM) and the religion. Thus inspired, they drew up a list of eight bloggers to be killed. Jasimuddin Rahmani is presently in prison.
A list was handed over to the home ministry after the murder of blogger Rajiv. The list had the name of writer-blogger Avijit.
DB officials said that the mastermind and leader Rana had gone into hiding since the murder of blogger Rajiv. It is suspected that Rana is involved in this murder too. Shafiur Rahman Farabi had been arrested on suspicion of threatening to kill the bloggers. He was later released on bail. Farabi has mentioned on facebook that he wanted to kill Avijit. He had written, "Avijir Roy lives in America, that is why it is not possible to kill him now. He will be killed when he comes to the country."
Fuchka seller Abul Kasem, a witness to Thursday's incident, told Prothom Alo, "There were two attackers. One was wearing a white shirt and the other was wearing a coat. They'd be about 30 to 35 years old. They took just a minute and then went off in two different directions."
Photojournalist Jibon Ahmed, also a witness to the killing, said, "Avijit and his wife were writhing on the ground after the attack, but no one came forward to take them to hospital."
On Friday Avijit's body was kept in cold storage after the autopsy in the Dhaka Medical College morgue. Assistant Professor Sohail Mahmud of the hospital's forensic medicine department, said that Avijit had been hit on the back of his head in three places with a sharp instrument which went through the bone. He died of excessive bleeding. There were also wounds on his back and his forehead.
Avijit's younger brother Arijit Roy's wife Keya Burman said, it has been decided to donate Avijit's body to Dhaka Medical College for research.
Avijit's body will be brought to his house in Bara Maghbazar at 10 on Sunday for people to pay their last respect. Then at 11am the body will be kept at Aparajeyo Bangla. After the final respects were paid, the body would be handed over to Dhaka Medical College.
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