A 27-year-old blogger Washiqur Rahman has been stabbed to death in a busy street in Dhaka near his home, by two religious students wielding meat cleavers, reports The Guardian. It comes shortly after prominent athiest blogger Avijit Roy (who is based in the US) was killed in a machete attack during a visit to the city, and raises real concerns about the cost of free speech in Bangladesh.
When writing under his pen name, Kucchit Hasher Channa, Washiqur would criticise irrational religious and extremist behaviour - when questioned about the attack, the suspects told police that they targeted Washiqur because of his anti-Islamic writing.
Last month, Avijit's death sparked protests from students and locals who accused authorities of failing to protect those who speak out against religious bigotry, and a man who trolled Avijit with death threats on social media was arrested. There are suspected links to Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in Bangladesh.
In the last few months, political violence has claimed 100 victims, with the country struggling to reconcile the role of religion in politics and society.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.