SPJ Florida condemns murder of editor of LGBT magazine in Bangladesh

SPJ Florida and SPJ Georgia join the world this week in condemning the brutal killing of Xulhaz Mannan, the editor and founder of Roopbaan, the first LGBT magazine in Bangladesh.

Mannan also worked at the U.S. development agency USAid.

Mannan, and his friend Tanay Mojumdar, were hacked to death in Mannan’s apartment in the capital, Dhaka, on April 25. Ansar al-Islam, an Al Queda affiliated organization has taken responsibility for the attack.

This heinous attack on freedom of speech is deeply disturbing. Our thoughts are with Mannan’s family, the staff at Roopbaan, and the LGBT community in Bangladesh during this time.

It is our hope that those in Bangladesh who are fighting to have their voices heard will not be deterred by this tragic incident.

In Bangladesh same-sex activity is illegal so we understand the sacrifices Mannan had to make when starting an LGBT magazine in order to give a voice to his community. We applaud his courage.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists 19 journalists have been murdered since 1992 in Bangladesh, 5 in 2015 alone.