Impunity breeding such savagery
A host of socio-cultural and political organisations yesterday strongly denounced the murder of secular writer Avijit Roy at the hands of alleged religious fanatics and blamed "impunity" to the previous attackers for the repeat of such savagery.
They also announced several protests in the next few days, to press for immediate arrest of the killers and build mass resistance against fundamentalism and militancy in the country.
In a condemnatory statement, Sector Commanders Forum said that had the attackers of Prof Humayun Azad and the killers of blogger Ahmed Rajib Haidar been punished, another secular writer would have been saved.
Avijit was hacked dead near TSC of Dhaka University on Thursday night, and the killing has triggered strong condemnations at home and abroad.
Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, which awarded Avijit's Mukta-Mona blog site for its contributions to the anti-communalism movement in 2012, said the savagery of the fundamentalists had crossed all limits.
In a statement, the anti-war criminal platform demanded punishment over all other such attacks and killings in the past.
Cultural organisation Sammilita Sangskritik Jote will stage a mass hunger strike and sit-in at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka on March 6 protesting the murder of Avijit and all killings during the ongoing political violence.
The hunger strike that aims to build mass resistance against killing, destruction and sabotage will begin at 11:00am and continue till 4:00pm, announced Golam Quddus, president of the Jote, while addressing a rally at TSC.
Around a dozen cultural personalities and academicians, who spoke there, called upon all the pro-liberation and progressive forces to stand united and fight fundamentalism and militancy. They demanded the government's necessary steps to secure the lives of the people.
Progotishil Chhatra Jote, an alliance of leftist student organisations, will enforce a strike on the DU campus tomorrow for the immediate arrest of the killers of Avijit Roy.
Its three-point demand, announced at a press conference at a press briefing at Madhur Canteen, also includes trial of those who attacked Prof Humayun Azad and a stop "state interference" in the right to freedom of expression.
In addition, the alliance will hold a meeting solidarity rally with teachers, student and mass people at Shahbagh Tuesday and submit a memorandum to the home minister the following day.
Gonotantrik Bam Morcha, a platform of left-leaning parties, will hold a rally in front of the national press club today demanding immediate arrest of the killers.
In its condemnatory statement, Bangladesh Economic Association urged the government to take effective action against the individuals and institutions giving funds and arms to the militant forces.
The faction of Gonojagoron Mancha, led by Imran H Sarker, will hold a mass rally at 4:00pm at Shahbagh.
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