Dhaka: The Amnesty International has condemned the brutal attacks against two publishers in Bangladesh terming it ‘further chilling evidence of the horrific pattern of violence against people exercising their freedom of expression in the country.’

‘We are deeply shocked by today’s news of yet more attacks against independent voices in Bangladesh,’ said Abbas Faiz, Bangladesh Researcher at Amnesty International.

‘The situation in Bangladesh is becoming increasingly dangerous for those brave enough to speak their own minds. The latest heinous criminal attacks are a deliberate assault against freedom of expression in the country.

‘Given the horrific pattern of violence, we have reason to believe many other lives are now at risk. 

‘We are calling on the Bangladesh authorities to act urgently to ensure the protection of others in the country against such horrific and targeted violence.

‘It is the government’s responsibility to do everything possible to find the attackers and bring them to justice. This can only be done through a thorough, effective, rigorous and independent investigation.

‘The cycle of violence and impunity must stop here. The right to freedom of expression, of all people, must be respected, protected and fulfilled.’

The owner of Jagriti Prokashony, a publication house, Faisal Arefin Dipan was hacked to death by miscreants at Shahbagh’s Aziz Supermarket in Dhaka, hours after Shuddhwashawr publication owner Ahmed Rashid Tutul, along with two other bloggers — Tareque Rahim and Ranadipam Basu — were stabbed in the capital’s Lalamatia on Saturday.

Faisal Arefin Dipan was murdered at his office in central Dhaka, Imran H Sarker, the spokesman of the Ganajagoran Mancha, told AFP.

Both Dipan and Tutul were reportedly publishers of slain blogger-writer Avijit Roy who was killed and his wife Rafida Afrin Banya injured seriously as unidentified criminals stabbed them near TSC on the Dhaka University campus on 26 February.

Avijit and Rafida, an expatriate couple living in the USA, returned home a few days ahead of the horrific incident as his two books were published on the occasion of Amar Ekushey Book Fair this year.