The United States has condemned Saturday's attacks on publishers and bloggers that left one publisher killed and three bloggers, including another publisher, seriously injured.
A Facebook statement of US Embassy in Dhaka stated: “The United States condemns the cowardly attacks on publishers and bloggers Faisal Arefin Dipan, Ahmedur Rashid Tutul, and two others in Dhaka on October 31.”
The status posted on Sunday further reads: “Our thoughts are with their families, friends, and the Bangladeshi people. Like the murders of Niloy Chakrabarti, Washikur Rahman, Ananta Bijoy Das, and Avijit Roy earlier this year.”
It underscores the importance of joint efforts to counter violent extremism and added: “We stand with Bangladeshis, who reject these vicious acts, and work to protect freedom of expression."
Publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan, whose publishing house published a book of slain writer-blogger Avijit Roy, was hacked to death in the capital's Aziz Supermarket on Saturday.
Take a look: Avijit's publisher Dipan slain. Avijit Roy's publisher, 2 bloggers hacked in Dhaka
He was killed a few hours after another of Avijit's publishers, Ahmedur Rashid Tutul, came under similar attack.
Three bloggers and writers, including the publisher of Shuddhashar Prokashani, Ahmedur Rashid Tutul, were hacked in the capital's Lalmatia area in the afternoon.
Read more: Bangladesh faces an existential crisis
Shuddhashar Prokashani published slain writer-blogger Avijit Roy's book Shunya Theke Mahabishwa and the publisher reportedly received death threat after the brutal murder of Avijit. Tutul has written two poetry books--Durbalataguchchha, Mrita Ghorhar Hresha.
Two other injured bloggers-writers are--Sudeep Kumar Ray Barman, who writes under the name of Ranadipam Basu, and Tareq Rahim.
