Bangladesh probing al-Qaida links in bloggers' murders: Minister

DHAKA: Bangladesh on Monday said it has launched investigations into the involvement of al-Qaida's Indian subcontinent unit in the killing of American atheist blogger Avijit Roy and other secular bloggers.
"Our intelligence agencies do not have any information that al-Qaida had killed the three bloggers, including (Bangladeshi-American) Avijit Roy. However, investigations have been ordered to verify if the video tape released in the name of AQIS was genuine," state minister for home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told media.
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The Mmnister's comments came a day after al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) claimed responsibility for the murder of Bangladesh-born US blogger, Roy.
"We earlier came to know the link of Ansarullah Bangla Team with Roy's murder and this outfit may have relations with al-Qaida," Kamal said.
AQIS has posted a video on jihadist fora claiming responsibility for the murder of Roy in Bangladesh as well as other "blasphemers" there and in Pakistan, according to SITE Intelligence Group in the US.
"AQIS leader Asim Umar claimed credit for the murder of American citizen Avijit Roy in Bangladesh as well as other 'blasphemers' there and in Pakistan," according to SITE, a US website that monitors extremist groups.
Roy, a prominent writer and secular activist, was hacked to death by two assailants with machetes on the streets of Dhaka in February as the 45-year old blogger returned from a book fair with his wife.
The Bangladesh-born writer, who emigrated to Georgia some 15 years ago, was well known in his homeland for his Mukto-Mona (Free-mind) blog where he railed against all forms of organized religion.
Roy was also the author of a series of books, including the best-selling "The Virus of Faith", which triggered a controversy in Bangladesh.
Asked if al-Qaida was behind the killing of Roy and two other bloggers - Ahmed Rajib Haider and Washiqur Rahman, Bangladesh police's spokesman Monirul Islam said they were not ruling out the AQIS claim as "we have information that several militant outfits of Bangladesh follow al-Qaida".