Hypatia comes to our town
In one of the most despicable attempts to restrict free expression to be seen in recent times, Bangla Academy has tried to impose a two-year ban on "Srabon Prokashoni," a secular publishing house.
Time to take stand in defense of free speech
Recently on Facebook, Taslima Nasrin, our own icon of freedom, accused several Bangladeshi Newspaper editors of being cowardly for refusing the publication of an article written to commemorate the tragic murder of the Jordanian satirist and writer Nahid Hattar. I can honestly feel Miss Nasrin's frustration, but however, I personally do not think it is appropriate to hold the editors or the journalists responsible for the appalling state of free speech Bangladeshi writers and freethinkers are suffering from.
Bonya Receives Freedom From Religion Foundation's 'Forward' Award 2016
Thanks to Freedom from Religion Foundation for the Forward Award. Thanks for being a partner at this critical time, helping the freethinkers in Bangladesh from half the world away. Let me introduce myself first and then I will come to the situation in Bangladesh.
We must honour our dissenters - An interview with Maryam Namazie
In a personal conversation with Maryam Namzie I shared the story of Mukto-mona, discussed on key global issues what sort of future we envisage.
Ode for Avijit Roy
Melancholy has become the mantra As fear and conjecture has become the currency of the ruler Truth and justice have become words of prejudice Pain and suffering the primary means of interacting.
Commemorating Niloy Neel - Perished by Al-Qaeda's Sword, Immortal with the Pen.
Bangladesh, especially the secular progressive section of the country, is under attack by two extremely brutal Islamic terror organizations, namely Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and Islamic State (IS). Both of these organizations belong to the Sunni sect and they adhere to tow different strategies to establish Islamic rule in Bangladesh. While IS can be thought of as an authoritarian movement that indiscriminately attacks and kills on Shites, Ahmadiyas, foreign nationals and other non-Muslims, AQIS thinks of itself as a populist movement and focuses on targets who have the ability to motivate people on secularism, atheism or any progressive values that AQIS deem as anti-Islamic or pro US. For the time being AQIS affiliated group in Bangladesh Ansar Bangla is avoiding the killing of Sunnis and ignoring other minority groups such as the Shites. As they concentrate on their progressive targets, they want to create an impact on the mind set of Sunni population who they want to be on their side.
Ansarullah Bangla Team - Genesis and Beyond
In Bangladesh, a climate of fear has engulfed the secular activists of the country with the advent of a radical Islamist group. Known under the name of "Ansarullah Bangla Team," its members are believed to be highly engaged in social media and also tech-savvy. Over the past few years, this youth-oriented radical Islamist group stole global media attention after successfully carrying out some fatal attacks on prominent secular activists, bloggers, writers, and publishers. Contrary to ISIS, so far ABT has been meticulous in choosing their targets. ABT has even condemned the atrocities committed by ISIS, standing from its self-defined higher moral ground.
Who is the mastermind behind Avijit's murder?
Mukto-Mona founder and author Avijit Roy's father Ajay Roy; a former university teacher was interviewed by TV journalist Farzana Rupa. The interview was broadcasted on Channel 71 on June 21st, 2015. Two days before the interview, in a separate interview with Bangla Tribune, Ajay Roy mentioned the names of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) teacher Farseem Mannan Mohammadey and his group, "Zero to Infinity," also the team's advisor Jamat-e-Islami activist Trivuz Alam. First and foremost, Ajay explicitly mentioned that he doesn't necessarily believe that Farseem was involved in Avijit's killing. However, Farseem may have played an indirect role in preparing the field for the attack. He also mentioned that the same night Avijit Roy was murdered, "Zero to Infinity" advisor Trivuz Alam celebrated 'one major occasion' at the Radisson Hotel.