He was a sitar player. All his life, he was devoted to music, culture and peace. His family members and colleagues don't believe he had enmity with anyone. He never said or wrote anything against any religion or hurt anybody's religious sentiment.

Against the obscurantism of the scheming religious extremists, one has to realise that in rural Bangladesh, religious and traditional beliefs are far more tenacious than the liberal fronts imagine.

THE brutal murders of two bloggers by extremists, one in full public view and the other in broad daylight, in a residential area of the city in disturbingly quick succession have understandably created a wave of fear amongst the people.

IN recent times, an upsurge of extremist movements, zealotry and fanaticism has almost shaken the foundation of our fledgling democracy.

IT'S almost like a ritual killing that will happen every now and then. The word 'blogger' has become the most hateful word in the dictionary of religious extremists.