Bangladeshi blogger Ananta Bijoy Das was murdered in broad daylight by a masked gang wielding machetes. The cowardly attack, the third this year, took place in the Subid Bazar area of Sylhet city in Bangladesh.

“Attackers wearing masks hacked Ananta Bijoy Das with machetes in Sylhet city at around 8.30 am this morning. We have learnt that he was a writer”

— Faisal Mahmud, Deputy Commissioner, Sylhet Police to AFP

Incidentally, Ananta wrote for the Mukto-Mona, a website moderated by slain Bangladesh born U.S blogger Avijit Roy. Roy was hacked to death in Dhaka in February this year.

In fact, 2 months back, another ‘secular’ blogger Washiqur Rahman Babu was murdered in Dhaka over alleged anti-Islamic writings. The brutal murder of Ananta Bijoy Das highlights a disturbing trend in the country & raises concern over free speech in Bangladesh.