Prof Ajoy Roy, father of slain writer Avijit, dies at 83
by bdnews24.com
Prominent Professor Ajoy Roy, the father of slain writer-blogger Avijit, has died in a Dhaka hospital at the age of 83.
The retired professor of physics at Dhaka University breathed his last while undergoing treatment at the capital’s BIRDEM General Hospital at 12:30am on Monday.
He was on life support at BIRDEM hospital’s intensive care unit for around a week.
Prof Ajoy appeared in a court on Oct 28 to testify in a case over the murder of his secular writer-blogger son Avijit Roy.
He was admitted to the hospital on Nov 25 with fever and breathing problems, his family and doctors said.
The doctors started giving Prof Ajoy artificial ventilation support two days later as his breathing problems deteriorated.
Founder of Shikkkha Andolan Mancha, Prof Ajoy was also one of the founders of Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee. He served as an adviser to the committee.
Two research works of the Ekushey Padak-winning physicist have been reviewed by the Nobel Committee for Physics.
After retiring from Dhaka University’s physics department, he worked as the University Grants Commission Professor there.
The freedom fighter of 1971 Liberation War actively took part in the 1952 Language Movement and the 1969 Mass Uprising as well.
His elder son Avijit, a science writer who lived in the US, was hacked to death by Islamist militants at Shahbagh just after leaving the Amar Ekushey Book Fair on Feb 26, 2015, with his wife Rafida Ahmed Bonya, who was also injured in the assault.