It is hard to believe that a group of writers are in mortal danger in the country now just for expressing their opinions. But that's the truth.

It seems that the state cannot ensure safety of these online writers, mostly young, as three of them were slain brutally in the last two and half months.

Failures of law enforcers become more apparent when shadowy groups claimed responsibilities after the killing missions at times specially in social media like Twitter. Militant groups claiming to be Ansar Bangla 8 on its Twitter account posted several times claiming the responsibility for these killings well as that of al-Qaeda in Indian Sub-Continent.

Now the declared targets of assassins, the bloggers and online activists are being extra cautious in their daily lives. The Daily Star Online found them hesitant to talk. They are being cautious while going out. They were interviewed in places of their own choices.

In the latest incident, blogger Ananta Bijoy Das, known for advocating science and secularism, was viciously hacked to death by a group of masked men in Sylhet city on May 12, in a continuation of attacks on free thinkers.

Another blogger and online activist, Oyashiqur Rahman Babu was hacked to death on March 30 by three cleaver-wielding youths in Dhaka's Tejgaon Industrial area.

Just 10 days before Babu's killing, prominent writer and blogger Avijit Roy was hacked to death at the Dhaka University campus after he and his wife came out of the Ekushey Boi Mela. The attackers badly wounded his wife Rafida Ahmed Bonya.

Before them, another blogger Rajib was hacked to death in the capital's Pallabi area on February 15, 2013.

Rajib was attacked only 10 days after the formation of Gonojagoron Mancha, an anti-war criminals platform.

Thousands of protesters across the country joined the Mancha when it was formed on February 5, 2013 protesting the verdict of war criminal and Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah for his crimes against humanity.

To malign the Mancha activities, Hefajat-e-Islam called them atheist bloggers and gave the government a list of names demanding action against them. They threatened country wide agitations if the government did act on it.