Spate of murders aims at putting government in a fix, says Minister Syed Ashraf

Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam has vowed to stand firm against a spate of murders, which, he claims, aims at ‘putting the government in a fix’.

Islam, who is also the public administration minister, said this on Tuesday in the wake of the murders of a gay-rights campaigner and his theatre activist friend in Dhaka, and a Rajshahi University teacher.

Quoting the Prime Minister and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina, he said, “Such incidents are happening to put the government in a fix.”

“Especially, bloggers and cultural activists are being hit,” the Awami League leader said.

“The government will not take it lightly... No one will be spared,” he added.

USAID official Xulhaz Mannan, who edited the country’s first LGBT magazine, was murdered at his flat in Dhaka along with his friend Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy on Monday.

Mannan is a cousin of Awami League leader and former foreign minister Dipu Moni.

On Saturday, Rajshahi University professor AFM Rezaul Karim Siddiquee was hacked to death near his house. 

Siddiquee, an English department teacher, used to write and was part of several cultural organisations.

Earlier in April, Jagannath University student and online activist Nazimuddin Samad was killed in a similar way in Dhaka.

Last year, people of different religious persuasions such as Shias, Ahmadiyyas and Christians were attacked along with bloggers, publishers, and online activists.

Radical groups Islamic State or al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent claimed responsibility, but police and the government have been dismissing such claims, saying no international group operated in Bangladesh.

The BNP alleges the ‘government’s failure’ has created an ‘insecure atmosphere’ in Bangladesh.

In reaction to BNP’s allegation, Awami League General Secretary Islam said in a media conference, “BNP is not in power now. It has a lot of time, but it doesn’t spend it in politics.”

Reporters questioned Islam about his party’s ties with the Olama League, which is allegedly instigating militants.

He said Joint General Secretary Mahbub-Ul Alam Hanif had already made it clear that the Olama League was not an Awami League affiliate.

“It’s their (Olama League) own issue if they make arrogant remarks,” Islam said, adding that ‘many’ were using the Awami League’s name now.

About irregularities and violence in the ongoing union council election, the former local government minister said they were not quite as severe to be a ‘challenge to or concern’ for the nation.

“People will forget them after the election,” he said, claiming the election to the lowest tier of the local government was ‘more peaceful than before’.