People from all walks of life yesterday paid their last respect to slain writer-blogger Avijit Roy at the altar of Aparejeyo Bangla at the Dhaka University.
The body of Avijit was kept there from 10:40am to 11:45am for people to pay last tribute to the writer. One minute silent was observed before his body was taken to the place where he was murdered by Islamist fanatics.
People there placed floral wreaths on the place of the murder. The dead body of Avijit was then handed over to Dhaka Medical College Hospital Anatomy Department.
Chairperson of Anatomy Department professor Shamim Ara received the dead body around 12:45pm.
In the morning Avijit’s body was taken to BUET where he studied before it was taken to Dhaka University Aparejeyo Bangla.
The attack on Avijit and Bonya is an attack on our consciousness, said Ramendu Mazumder while paying tribute to the slain writer-blogger Avijit.
Syed Hasan Imam said people who stand against communalism and fight for establishing the value of liberation war are being killed one after another.
This is barbarism, said the veteran theater personality.
Shahriar Kabir, president of Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, said previously the fundamentalists attacked Humayun Azad and continued with the attacks.
If the fundamentalists are not stopped, they would ultimately target the prime minister.
Prof Ajoy Roy father of Avijit called upon the prime minister to bring the killers of his son to book and ban all militant outfits.
“Try the killers of Avijit and all those who were killed in militant attacks. And ban all militant outfits including Jamaat-e-Islami,” he said.
He also called upon everyone to unite and create pressure on the government for the trial of Avijit’s killers.
Ajoy Roy also termed his son’s murder a sign of government’s failure.
Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain said: “Had the killers of similar incidents been tried, this [killing of Avijit] would not have happened.”
Dr Kamal also welcomed US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for its willingness to get involved in the investigation into the murder.
Human rights activist Mahfuza Khanam said: “Free thinkers are being killed one after another. But we will not bow down to fundamentalists.”
Sammilito Sangskiritik Jote, an alliance of cultural groups, organised the programme to pay tribute to the slain writer Avijit Roy.
In the line of hundreds of mournful people who thronged to pay respect to the Bangladesh-born US blogger were Khalequzzaman of Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (Socialist party of Bangladesh), Director General of Bangla Academy Shamsuzzaman Khan, Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique, National University Vice-Chancellor Dr Harun-or-Rashid, Professor Rafique Ullah Khan, M M Akash, Shafiquzzaman, Rahnuma Ahmed, Dr Mizanur Rahman, vice-chancellor of Jagannath University, General Secretary of Sammilito Sangskritik Jote Hasan Arif, Barrister Sara Hossain, former student leader Baki Billah.
His body was donated to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for medical research.
Avijit, 45, was hacked to death and his wife Rafida Ahmed Bonya, 35, was seriously injured in an attack by unidentified assailants near the TSC roundabout on Thursday night.
Avijit – a naturalised US citizen who lived in the American state of Georgia – came to Bangladesh with his wife on February 15 after two new books he authored were published at the Ekushey Book Fair.
