(Originally published in Daily Asian Age, March 5, 2018)
https://dailyasianage.com/news/111076/benkin-meets-ministers-ag
by Asian Age Correspondent
Eminent human rights activist, author and specialist in South Asia Dr. Richard L Benkin visited the Daily Asian Age office on Sunday night. He was accompanied by Rabindra Ghosh, leader of Bangla-desh Minority Watch and global human rights defense and Prof. N.C. Bhawmik, minority rights leader and Adviser to Asian Age.
Dr. Richard L Benkin was received by the paper's Consultant Editor, Mostafa Kamal Majumder, Executive Editor, Mohsin Habib, City Editor Main Uddin Ahmed. Some other journalists and employees were present. During the exchange of opinion with journalists of the paper Dr. Benkin discussed the state of free thinking in Bangladesh. Earlier Dr Benkins visited the Mazar of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujubur Rahman at Tungipara and placed floral respect.
He met Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Law Minister Anisul Huq and Attorney General Mahey Alam. Dr. Benkins discussed with them freedom of thought, security of intellectuals writers and thinkers in the region in general and in Bangladesh in Particular. He raised the issue of the murder of writers including Avijit Roy, publisher of secular books Faisal Arefin Dipon and attacks on intellectuals including Prof. Zafar Iqbal of Shahjalal University, Sylhet.