Blogger killers go unpunished
The killers of bloggers are yet to be tried due to the government's “nonchalant attitude” to the incidents, says Prof Ajay Roy, father of slain writer-blogger Avijit Roy.
“The government did not even protest the murder of bloggers. It seems that the Awami League is not interested in bringing the culprits to book,” he told a programme at the capital's Brac Inn Centre yesterday.
At the programme, rights body Article 19 Bangladesh introduced a 12-point “charter” aimed at creating a vibrant and fearless online space in the country.
The “charter” calls for ensuring that international standards are followed on putting any sort of restrictions on expressing opinion online, malpractice of existing laws to harass bloggers are stopped and bloggers are not forced to use their real names while writing blogs.
The government should also ensure security to the bloggers who are facing death threats, it said.
Ajay said the charter would be a safeguard against the violence against bloggers. “I hope the government will recognise the charter,” he added.
At the programme, Prof Mahbubur Rahman of Law department at Dhaka University called upon bloggers to be careful so that hate speech are not spread by them online.
Three bloggers and writers, including Avijit, were killed by militants between February and May.
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