A team of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has met the officials of the Detective Branch of Police to inquire into the Bangladeshi-American secular writer and blogger Avijit Roy murder.
The visiting FBI delegates met the DB officials on Thursday afternoon, said Detective Branch Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam.
The DB official said the FBI delegation inquired about the progress in the investigation.
The team arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday night to assist law enforcers in investigating the murder.
Avijit, 45, was hacked to death and his wife Rafida Ahmed Bonna, 35, was seriously injured in an attack by unidentified assailants near the TSC roundabout on February 26.
A day after the murder, State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said they were ready to investigate, if asked.
Later on March 1, the Bangladesh government responded positively to the US offer to engage the FBI in investigating the motive for the murder.
On March 2, extremist Farabi Shafiur Rahman was arrested for his alleged involvement in the killing of Avijit.
Friends and family of Avijit Roy said the outspoken humanist had been receiving death threats since 2012.
Farabi is one militant with whom Avijit is known to have debated online.
His exchanges with Avijit resulted in death threats against the blogger.
Farabi is known to have aired questionable views of the Qur’an to defend the books and blogs he has written.
Avijit countered Farabi’s claims with citations and references in notes and status updates posted on Facebook and on his blog, earning the wrath of Farabi and his followers.
“Avijit Roy lives in America. So it is not possible to kill him now. He will be killed as soon as he returns home,” Farabi commented in one of his online conversations with other extremists.
Responding to his posts against “atheists,” most of Farabi’s followers said they ought to be killed to protect Islam.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
