Publisher of Secular Books Killed, 3 Wounded in Bangladesh

Publisher of secular books was hacked to death in Bangladesh. Three other people were also wounded.

The body of Faisal Arefin Deepan is carried on a stretcher at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. (Photo: AP)

A publisher of secular books was hacked to death and three other people were wounded in two separate attacks on Saturday at publishing houses in Bangladesh’s capital, police said.

The attacks in Dhaka come amid fears about the rise of radical Islam in Bangladesh. At least four atheist bloggers have been murdered in the impoverished country this year, while the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for three other attacks.

Both of the publishers involved in Saturday’s attacks had published works of Bangladeshi-American blogger and writer Avijit Roy, who was hacked to death on the Dhaka University campus while walking with his wife in February.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the latest attacks. The local Islamist group Ansarullah Bangla Team had claimed responsibility for the blogger killings and recently threatened to kill more bloggers.

The slaughtered body of publisher Faisal Arefin Deepan of the Jagriti Prokashoni publishing house was found inside his office following the second of Saturday’s attacks, senior police officer Shibly Noman said.