Protestors take to Bangladesh streets to denounce blogger murder

Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets of the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka to denounce the recent murder of a Bangladesh-born American blogger.

Avijit Roy was hacked to death outside Dhaka University on Friday while his wife Rafida Ahmed, who was also attacked, remains in critical condition. Students, activists and journalists gathered at Dhaka University on Saturday to demand urgent police action, arguing that the murder raised questions about the government’s capability to protect citizens from criminals and to uphold democracy and freedom of speech.

"The government cannot avoid its responsibility as it has failed to try similar crimes before," University professor Anwar Hossain told Al Jazeera.

According to news agency Al Jazeera, police and onlookers were present during the attacks on Roy and his wife, but no one came to their aid.

The couple had just left a book fair at the university when a group of men ambushed them, with at least two of the attackers hitting them with meat cleavers, police Chief Sirajul Islam told the Associated Press.

The attackers then ran away and disappeared into the crowds. The police found two blood-stained cleavers after the attack.

Avijit's younger brother Arijit Roy has said that family members have decided to donate Avijit’s body to medical research, as per the victim’s wish.

In 2013, blogger Ahmed Rajib Haber, who also criticised religious fanatics, was killed by unidentified assailants near his home in Dhaka.