ICC Note:
According to reports, police in Bangladesh have arrested over 5,000 suspected extremists following months of brutal murders. Religious minorities, academics, gay rights activists, foreigners, and atheists have been targeted by these extremists claiming to be connected to ISIS or other terrorist networks outside Bangladesh. Since February, it is estimated that more than 30 people have been brutally murdered by extremists, leaving many religious minorities feeling insecure. Will this mass round up help solve the killing spree in Bangladesh?
6/13/2016 Bangladesh (Christian Today) – Police in Bangladesh have arrested more than 5,000 suspected militants after dozens of brutal killings of Christians, atheists and others, many hacked down by men on motorcycles using machetes and swords. More than 80 of those arrested are believed to be Islamic extremists.
The arrests have been made on suspicion of firearms, drugs and other offences.
Every non-Muslim who takes to social media, the blogosphere or other media espousing a less-than-extremist view, as well as non-extremist Muslims as many in the Sunni community are, are now feared to be targets of the killers.
Killings this month alone include:
- Nitya Ranjan Pandey, 60, a Hindu monastery worker stabbed to death in Pabna just a few days ago.
- Hindu priest Ananta Gopal Ganguly, 70, whose throat was slit as he was on his way to temple in the Jhenaidah district, west of Dhaka.
- Christian grocery store owner Sunil Gomes, murdered in his shop after leaving morning prayers in his home in the village of Bonpara.
- In May, a Christian family’s home in Baghadanga Girjapara was targeted with homemade bombs.
- In April, Islamic State claimed responsibility for the murder of Rezaul Karim Siddiquee, 58, a professor of English north-west Bangladesh who was hacked to death.
Islamic State and Al Qaeda have claimed responsibility between them for most of the murders.
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