Statement from Mukto-Mona on recent false media claims about Avijit Roy's killers
Recently we've come across several news items related to the investigation of the murder of Avijit Roy, writer and founder of Mukto-Mona. We, the Mukto-Mona group, are protesting these attempts to create sensation among readers through glib and misleading clickbait headlines such as "Bonya Ahmed Identified Avijit Roy's Murderers" or "Bonya's Friend Provided Information to Avijit's Murderers." Many people have contacted us regarding this, and so, on behalf of Bonya Ahmed, we think it necessary to present accurate information on this matter.
Voltaire Lecture 2015 - 'Fighting machetes with pens
The transcript of Voltaire Lecture 2015 by Rafida Ahmed Bonya
Rafida Ahmed Bonya to deliver Voltaire Lecture 2015 on July 2
Writer Rafida Ahmed Bonya (hereafter Bonya), the wife of the founder of Mukto-Mona, famous freethinking Bengali writer Avijit Roy (1972-2015; hereafter Avijit), has arrived in London to deliver this year's prestigious Voltaire Lecture organized by British Humanist Association (BHA). The lecture will be held in Hilton London Metropole Hotel on July 2. BHA is organizing this lecture every year. Last year the lecture was given by Jim Al-Khalili, the president of BHA, and the year before that famous cognitive scientist Steven Pinker was the speaker.
Bangladesh Islam Bachao Party
Members of Awami League, BNP, JP, Hefajot-e Islam, Jamaat-e Islami, Chhatra Shibir, Awami Jubo League, Tablig-e Jamaat and thousand of Ulema etc. etc. have assembled in Shahbag, Dhaka. The members of these divergent groups have kept aside their differences and animosity and have come under a single umbrella to address a common burning issue for all of them, i.e."Islam is in danger in Bangladesh".
Reuters Exclusive - Widow of slain U.S.-Bangladeshi blogger lashes out at Dhaka
[caption id="attachment_4452" align="aligncenter" width="532"]
Rafida Ahmed, who is recovering from injuries including the loss of her thumb suffered during a hacking attack by jihadi assailants, speaks during an interview with Reuters near Washington April 23, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer[/caption]
I, AVIJIT AND MUKTO MONA
So Mukto Mona was out of cyber world for some days. We have been facing this problem off and on following the murder of Avijit. However, it has come to life now. All Mukto Monas are happy once again.
Rafida Ahmed in American Atheists Convention 2015
Rafida Ahmed Bonya; prominent Bangladeshi science writer and wife of late writer Avijit Roy who was brutally killed by Islamic fundamentalists on 26 February 2015. Here is her video message for American Atheists Convention 2015.
Dozens Attend "Standing With Avijit" Rally in Washington DC 3/21/15
Washington, DC - On March 21, 2015, about 100 Bangladeshi-Americans, human rights advocates, and interfaith leaders gathered in Dupont Circle to highlight the recent murder of a humanist writer. The rally, titled "Standing with Avijit" responded to the February 26 murder of Bangladeshi-American writer/blogger Avijit Roy by religious extremists in Dhaka.
Dr. Avijit Roy and His Enlightening Role for Freethinking in Bangladesh
Dr. Avijit Roy was hacked to death just outside the Dhaka Book Fair by assailants with machetes on February 26, 2015. The assailants attacked him from behind as we learned from the news report. These killers were not different from those who picked up Bengali intellectuals and killed them mercilessly in 1971. At the end of our liberation war in 1971, the military wing (Al-Badrs and Al-Shams) of Jamaat-I-Islami and other Islamic forces brutally killed many intellectuals. These forces re-organized themselves in various forms to continue this killing of selected intellectuals even after our independence. There are many manifestations of Al-Badrs and Al-Shams namely, Jamaatul Mujahedin, Harkatul Jiahad al Islam, Bangla Ansar, Jagrata Muslim Janata, etc. If the government bans the activities of one, the terrorists form one more with a different name to advance the causes of Al-Badrs and Al-Shams or in other words, the causes of their parent organization named Bangladesh Jamaat-I-Islami. The recent killing of Dr. Avijit Roy is the continuation of the process of elimination of maverick writers so that the forces of darkness can continue spreading their philosophy of obscurantism unabatedly in Bangladesh.
Avijit Roy and His Legacy
Published in the Free Inquiry magazine, a publication of the Center for Free Inquiry (CFI), USA. Please read and leave a comment. (I would suggest to leave a comment on the CFI website so that those more Americans can see it.)