Bangladesh: Police reaction to blogger’s death slammed

DHAKA, Bangladesh

Bangladesh's police have been criticized for their reaction to the murder of a secular blogger for the fourth time this year.

Human Rights Watch in a statement on Wednesday called on Bangladesh to protect free speech after the Bangladeshi police chief asked bloggers not to "cross the line" with their writings.

"It’s shocking that Bangladesh authorities not only failed to protect the bloggers despite complaints to the police about threats against them, but instead are proposing self-censorship,” the group's Asia director, Brad Adams, said.

"The government should recall that its duty is to uphold the constitution and protect people’s lives, as well as their religious freedom," Adams added.

Last week blogger Niladri Chattopadhyay, known as Niloy Neel, became the fourth this year to be hacked to death for writings that some felt were abusive towards Islam.

Chattopadhyay was among 84 people listed by hardline groups for the alleged anti-Islamic sentiment in their writings.

The government has come under increasing pressure to investigate the killings and stop further murders, with many accusing it of failure to provide security to the country.

The murders have shocked most Bangladeshis and have been criticized not only by civil society groups but also the right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami party.

On Sunday, the Inspector General of Police, AKM Shahidul Hoque, said: "There will always be free thinkers. I have enough respect for them. But we need to remember that hurting religious sentiments is a crime according to our law."

"I will request them, please make sure that we don't cross the line. Anything that may hurt anyone’s religious sentiments or beliefs should not be written," he said.

The murders have purportedly been claimed in statements by a mysterious militant group called Ansarullah Bangla Team, which claims affiliation with al-Qaeda, but their claims have not been verified.