Dhaka: Jury members announced the winners of Deutsche Welle’s (DW) 11th annual competition at The Bobs - Best of Online Activism on Saturday. The winners of the three main awards came from Bangladesh, Syria and Mexico, reports DW.

In the Social Change category the jury honoured the work of Rafida Bonya Ahmed from Bangladesh, who was brutally assaulted in a February 2015 attack that claimed the life of her husband, Avijit Roy. Despite the serious injuries she suffered, Ahmed has refused to be silenced by the religious fundamentalists behind her husband's murder.

‘We have a situation of intolerance that is very problematic,’ said Shahidul Alam, a member of the Bobs jury, explaining that bloggers like Ahmed were fighting against extremists dragging Bangladesh away from its secular principles.

'The onus is now on the rest of us'

DW reported that Ahmed and other bloggers at mukto-mona.com often end up putting their own lives at risk. Religious fundamentalists published a list of 84 people they have said should be killed, eight of whom have already been murdered.

‘In a repressive environment where freedom of expression can lead to death, the defiance of these bloggers must be lauded,’ Alam added.

‘But the onus now is on the rest of us to ensure that these brave individuals are given the support and protection that they need and that governments are held to account.’

People's Choice Awards

In addition to the three awards given out by the jury, Internet users around the world also voted for the People's Choice Award in all 14 of the Bobs' languages. It was won by Take Back the Tech, a series of campaigns promoting the use of technology, especially by women and girls, in advocacy against gender-based violence.

DW Freedom of Speech Award

As part of the Bobs 2015, Deutsche Welle also gave out its first Freedom of Speech Award in February to Saudi blogger Raif Badawi. His website, Free Saudi Liberals, addressed a number of controversial political and social issues facing Saudi Arabia.

In May 2014, the 31-year-old was sentenced to 10 years in prison, 1,000 lashes and a heavy fine for insulting Islam. DW Director General Peter Limbourg said Badawi took an exemplary stance for freedom of expression.

The three jury award winners as well as the winner of the Deutsche Welle Freedom of Speech Award will be invited to an award ceremony on 22 June as part of the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum in Bonn, Germany.