Bangladeshi professor's killing inexcusable: Amnesty International

In response to today's killing of university professor Rezaul Karim Siddique in Rajshahi in Bangladesh, Champa Patel, Amnesty International’s South Asia Director, said in a statement: "The vicious killing of Rezaul Karim Siddiquee is inexcusable and those responsible must be held to account. This attack sadly fits the gruesome pattern established by Islamist extremist groups in Bangladesh who are targeting secular activists and writers. The authorities must do more to put an end to these killings. Not a single person has been brought to justice for the attacks over the past year."

Rajshahi University professor Rezaul Karim Siddiquee was hacked to death by miscreants, some 50 metres away from his residence on Saturday morning, reports said.

Bdnews24.com quoted Boalia police station OC Shahdat Hossain as saying that miscreants hacked the deceased with sharp weapon and left him to die at the Battala Crossing in Salbagan area around 7.30 a.m.

Though initially it was thought that Islamist radicals may have played a part in Siddiquee's murder, it was soon ruled out as police said that a personal rivalry was the reason he was murdered.

Siddiquee also became the third such victim after two others of the same varsity were killed some years ago.