The United States Department of State has announced up to $5 million as a reward for information on the killing of writer-blogger Avijit Roy and the concurrent attack on his wife Rafida Bonya Ahmed in Dhaka in 2015.
Rewards for Justice (RFJ), the counterterrorism rewards programme of the US State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service made the announcement in a statement today.
The Bangladesh-born US citizens were visiting Dhaka to attend a book fair when unidentified assailants attacked them on the Dhaka University campus on February 26, 2015, killing Avijit while Bonya survived with critical injuries.
As an author, blogger, and activist, Avijit challenged fundamentalism in Bangladesh by advocating for freedom of expression. He coordinated international protests to raise awareness of the plight of imprisoned atheist bloggers in Bangladesh and was a well-known critic of social repression. He was targeted and killed for his outspoken beliefs and activism.
Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a militant group (now banned in Bangladesh), claimed responsibility for the attack. Those responsible for the attack are believed to be in Bangladesh, said the statement.
Shortly thereafter, Asim Umar, the now-deceased leader of al-Qa’ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), posted a widely circulated video claiming that AQIS followers, including those who have yet to be arrested, were responsible for the attack on the duo.
The US Department of State on July 1, 2016, designated AQIS as a foreign terrorist organisation under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, added the statement.
Previously, on June 30, 2016, the Department of State designated AQIS as a specially designated global terrorist pursuant to Executive Order 13224, as amended, according to the statement.
As a result, all of AQIS’s property and interests in property subject to the US jurisdiction are blocked, and US citizens are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with AQIS, the statement also mentioned.
