Terrorist Attack Against Americans in Bangladesh

ກ່ຽວກັບ

Rewards for Justice is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information on the killing of Avijit Roy and the concurrent attack on Rafida Bonya Ahmed in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

On February 26, 2015, Bangladesh-born U.S. citizens and married couple Roy and Ahmed were visiting Dhaka to attend a book fair when they were attacked by unidentified assailants with machetes. Roy was hacked to death. Ahmed survived with critical injuries, including a severed thumb and multiple head wounds.

As an author, blogger, and activist, Roy 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 Bangladeshi terrorist group, claimed responsibility for the attack. ABT seeks to radicalize youths to kill those deemed by them to be anti-Islamic. 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 Roy and Ahmed.

On July 1, 2016, the U.S. Department of State designated AQIS as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended. Previously, on June 30, 2016, the Department of State designated AQIS as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order 13224, as amended. As a result, all of AQIS’s property and interests in property subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with AQIS. It is a crime to knowingly provide, or to attempt or conspire to provide, material support or resources to AQIS.

Those responsible for the attack are believed to be in Bangladesh.