Al-Qaeda claims murder of Bangladesh LGBT magazine editor hacked to death
Ansar Al Islam says two men it claims to have murdered were 'pioneers of practicing and promoting homosexuality'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A group affiliated to al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the murder of a Bangladeshi gay rights campaigner and editor of the country’s first LGBT magazine.
Xulhaz Mannan, 35, was killed on Monday in his apartment in capital city Dhaka by a group of assailants who posed as couriers. His friend, actor Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy, 25, was killed in the same attack.
A Twitter account claiming to belong to Islamist group Ansar Al Islam said its fighters had killed Mannan and Tonoy because they were “the pioneers of practicing and promoting homosexuality in Bangladesh”.
The authenticity of the claim could not be immediately verified and Ansar Al Islam - which is part of al-Qaeda’s Indian Subcontinent branch - has issued similar claims in the past.
Mannan was the editor of Roopbaan, the country's only magazine for the LGBT community. He also worked for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and was previously a US Embassy protocol officer.
The killings are the latest in a string of murders of liberal activists and other minorities in Bangladesh.
Maruf Hossain Sardar, spokesman for Dhaka city police, dismissed the group’s claim as baseless, saying militant groups like Isis and al-Qaeda had no organisational base in Bangladesh.
The attack comes after Isis claimed responsibility for the murder of Rezaul Karim Siddique, a 58-year-old English professor who died after being attacked with machetes as he left for work on Saturday. A statement from the militant group accused him of "calling to atheism".
Earlier this month, a Bangladeshi law student was hacked with machetes and shot in Dhaka after expressing secular views online. Last year, four atheist bloggers were also killed.
Homosexuality is currently illegal in Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation of 160 million people.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments