<p>Five Islamist extremists were sentenced to death on Tuesday over the brutal murder of a Bangladeshi-American writer and rights activist six years ago.</p>.<p>Avijit Roy, a prolific blogger and the author of 10 books including the best-selling <em>Biswasher Virus</em> (<em>Virus of Faith</em>), was hacked to death outside Bangladesh's largest book fair by machete-wielding extremists in February 2015.</p>.<p>The murder, part of a reign of terror by extremists at the time, enraged the Muslim-majority nation's secular activists, who staged days of protests.</p>.<p>The judge at Dhaka's Special Anti-Terrorism Tribunal found six people guilty, sentencing five to death and one to life in prison, prosecutor Golam Sarwar Zakir told AFP.</p>.<p>Two of them were tried in absentia, including sacked army officer Syed Ziaul Haque, who was accused of leading the group that carried out the attack -- known as Ansarullah Bangla Team, or Ansar al Islam.</p>.<p>A defence lawyer said they would appeal the verdict at a higher court.</p>.<p>Roy was born in Bangladesh in 1972 and moved to the United States in 2006 from where he continued to criticise the government for the jailing of atheist bloggers.</p>.<p>His wife Rafida Ahmed Bonya, who was injured in the attack and lives in the US, said the verdict would not bring her peace.</p>.<p>"In six years, not one person investigating the case in Bangladesh reached out to me -- though I am a direct witness and victim of the attack," she wrote on Facebook.</p>.<p>"Simply prosecuting a few foot-soldiers -- and ignoring the rise and roots of extremism -- does not mean justice for Avi's death."</p>.<p>The verdict comes less than a week after eight Islamist extremists were sentenced to death for the murder of a publisher who brought out books by secular writers, including two by Roy.</p>.<p>The attacks were part of a wave of violence between 2013 and 2016 targeting secular activists, bloggers and atheist writers at a time of heightened political tensions.</p>.<p>Several top Islamist political party leaders were hanged over the violence under the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</p>.<p>The Bangladesh government has since set up two major anti-terrorism police units to crack down on Islamist extremists.</p>.<p>More than 100 suspects have been killed in anti-terror raids and hundreds detained. Around half a dozen Islamist militant outfits have been banned.</p>.<p>Bangladesh cricket star Shakib Al Hasan has become the latest target of radicals and had to be given an armed bodyguard after he was threatened for attending a Hindu ceremony in India.</p>
<p>Five Islamist extremists were sentenced to death on Tuesday over the brutal murder of a Bangladeshi-American writer and rights activist six years ago.</p>.<p>Avijit Roy, a prolific blogger and the author of 10 books including the best-selling <em>Biswasher Virus</em> (<em>Virus of Faith</em>), was hacked to death outside Bangladesh's largest book fair by machete-wielding extremists in February 2015.</p>.<p>The murder, part of a reign of terror by extremists at the time, enraged the Muslim-majority nation's secular activists, who staged days of protests.</p>.<p>The judge at Dhaka's Special Anti-Terrorism Tribunal found six people guilty, sentencing five to death and one to life in prison, prosecutor Golam Sarwar Zakir told AFP.</p>.<p>Two of them were tried in absentia, including sacked army officer Syed Ziaul Haque, who was accused of leading the group that carried out the attack -- known as Ansarullah Bangla Team, or Ansar al Islam.</p>.<p>A defence lawyer said they would appeal the verdict at a higher court.</p>.<p>Roy was born in Bangladesh in 1972 and moved to the United States in 2006 from where he continued to criticise the government for the jailing of atheist bloggers.</p>.<p>His wife Rafida Ahmed Bonya, who was injured in the attack and lives in the US, said the verdict would not bring her peace.</p>.<p>"In six years, not one person investigating the case in Bangladesh reached out to me -- though I am a direct witness and victim of the attack," she wrote on Facebook.</p>.<p>"Simply prosecuting a few foot-soldiers -- and ignoring the rise and roots of extremism -- does not mean justice for Avi's death."</p>.<p>The verdict comes less than a week after eight Islamist extremists were sentenced to death for the murder of a publisher who brought out books by secular writers, including two by Roy.</p>.<p>The attacks were part of a wave of violence between 2013 and 2016 targeting secular activists, bloggers and atheist writers at a time of heightened political tensions.</p>.<p>Several top Islamist political party leaders were hanged over the violence under the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</p>.<p>The Bangladesh government has since set up two major anti-terrorism police units to crack down on Islamist extremists.</p>.<p>More than 100 suspects have been killed in anti-terror raids and hundreds detained. Around half a dozen Islamist militant outfits have been banned.</p>.<p>Bangladesh cricket star Shakib Al Hasan has become the latest target of radicals and had to be given an armed bodyguard after he was threatened for attending a Hindu ceremony in India.</p>