Man arrested for alleged murder of two LGBT activists in Bangladesh
Xulhaz Mannan and Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy were hacked to death in a flat back in 2016
By Steve Brown
A man has been arrested for allegedly murdering LGBT magazine editor Xulhaz Mannan and Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy back in 2016.
According to Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit in Bangladesh the alleged militant Assadullah, 25, is one of the prime suspects in the double murder of LGBT+ magazine editor Mannan and Tonoy, the DailyStar.net reported.
In 2016, Xulhaz Mannan and Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy, who worked at Bangladesh’s first and only LGBT magazine, were hacked to death by machete-wielding Islamic militants at Xulhaz’s apartment in Dhaka.
It is reported that four of the five youths entered Mannan’s flat posing as couriers and directly took part in the killings.
All five were seen running away from the flat on CCTV and allegedly stabbed a policeman who tried to stop them fleeing.
At the time, Ansar al Islam – the so-called Bangladesh chapter of al-Qaeda – took responsibility for the murders claiming the two men were practicing and promoting homosexuality.
Last year, Mannan and Tonoy’s friend Mazhural Islam was honoured with an Attitude Pride Award for continuing the fight for justice following the brutal homophobic murder of two of his close friends and fellow activists.