Police did not act, says Avijit’s wife

Rafida Ahmed Bonya, wife of murdered blogger-writer Avijit Roy, has said they did not get proper cooperation from law enforcers when they came under attack on February 26.

“While Avijit and I were being ruthlessly attacked, the local police stood close by and did not act,” Bonya said in a statement received here today.

Center for Inquiry (CFI), a New York-based nonprofit educational, advocacy, and research organisation, sent the statement titled “Join us in a demand for justice” on behalf of Bonya’s family.

“My husband, Avijit Roy, wrote about science and rationalism and critiqued religious fundamentalism. Because of this, he was murdered. As his wife, fellow writer, and a freethinker, I strongly condemn this gruesome act of terror.”

Terming the crime “not only against a person, but against freedom of speech and humanity”, she said, “The Dhaka University campus has historically been a space for progressive movements…Despite the death threat, we could not fathom that such a heinous crime could take place in such an area.”

She demanded that the Bangladeshi government do everything in its power to bring the murderers to justice.

“I urge the government to address terrorism and stop a legal culture of impunity, where writers can be killed without the killers being brought to trial. I urge the world to recognize what has happened and join us in this demand for justice,” she continued to say.

“We are deeply grateful that Bonya is recovering from her ordeal, and we’re honored to help her share her story and her call for action,” said Michael De Dora, CFI’s representative to the United Nations and a friend of Avijit.