WASHINGTON — National Press Club leaders expressed outrage Tuesday about the murder of two people, including a journalist, in Bangladesh.
Xulhaz Mannan, editor of Roopbaan, an LGBT magazine, and Tanay Mojumdar, a friend of Mannan’s, were hacked to death in Mannan’s apartment in the capital, Dhaka, on April 25, according to news reports. Ansar al-Islam, an Al Queda affiliated Islamist organization has taken responsibility for the attack, according to CNN.
Mannan was also a USAID worker and a prominent leader of the LGBT community of Bangladesh, where homosexuality is illegal. His murder is only the latest in a slew of brazen attacks on journalists, academics and human rights activists in the country.
“The brutal murders of journalists, academics and human rights activists in Bangladesh over the past year are deeply distressing,” said NPC President Thomas Burr. “The Bangladeshi government has a duty to protect journalists, to bring their murderers to justice and to ensure the right to free speech.”
“Mannan’s murder is not just an attack on another human being but an attack on free speech in one of the largest democracies in the world,” said Burr.
The National Press Club is the world’s leading professional organization for journalists. Through its Press Freedom Committee, the club promotes freedom of expression and transparency.
The National Press Club Journalism Institute is the club’s non-profit affiliate. It is committed to advancing journalistic practice by equipping professionals with the skills and competence to innovate, leveraging emerging trends, recognizing leaders and innovators, and mentoring the next generation of journalism and communications professionals.
