The grim list of those who have fallen victim to attacks by Islamist militants in Bangladesh is growing ever diverse. Secular bloggers, academics, gay rights activists, and members of religious minorities including Shia, Sufi and Ahmadi Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and Hindus have all been killed, many of them hacked to death. That a university professor whose family said they believed in God could also be murdered suggests the list of those at risk has widened further. Who exactly is behind the attacks remains murky. Bangladesh has a myriad of extremist groups and there havebeen a few convictions over the attacks. Bangladesh has disputed claims by so-called Islamic State or al-Qaeda-linked groups for the attacks, instead often blaming opposition parties or local Islamist groups.
Co-Sponsor: South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy
