Gay Rights Ativist Killed in Bangladesh in Suspected Islamist Attack

Reuters, 25/04 18:02 CET

DHAKA (Reuters) – Suspected Islamist militants hacked to death a leading gay rights activist and a friend in an apartment in the Bangladeshi capital on Monday, police said.

The attack came two days after a university professor was killed in similar fashion on Saturday in an attack claimed by the Islamic State.

Five or six people went to the apartment of Xulhaz Mannan, an editor of Bangladesh’s first magazine for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community “Rupban”, and attacked him and a friend with sharp weapons, Dhaka city police spokesman Maruf Hossain Sorder said, quoting witnesses.

Mannan previously worked at the U.S. embassy.

They also wounded a security guard, who was undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Witnesses said the attackers shouted “Allahu Akbar” as they fled the scene. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: Euronews

Note: At 5:01 p.m. (EST), Ned Price, National Security Council spokesperson, submitted the following statement.  

The U.S. Government deplores the brutal murders this evening in Dhaka, Bangladesh that took the life of Xulhaz Mannan. An employee of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Mr. Mannan served the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka with distinction, and he worked on behalf of his fellow Bangladeshis as a voice for justice, equality, and human rights for all.  Mr. Mannan set an example of dignity, courage, and selflessness, and his legacy will live on in the causes he championed. We extend our deepest sympathies to Mr. Mannan's loved ones as they mourn his loss, and we strongly urge the Government of Bangladesh to ensure that the perpetrators of this senseless crime are brought to justice.  

Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary