China jailed 3 bloggers for questioning Beijing over the Galwan death toll. India, meanwhile, is once again allowing China to invest in India. Why? WION's Palki Sharma has the details.

Gravitas: China's Galwan lies

China Expands Control over the digital space. The new rules will only allow bloggers to post using the chinese credidentials and it also put curbs on health, economics, education and judiciary matters. China has also taken Cyber Space administration seriously. New rules for bloggers have also been specified which will come effect starting next week. New sensor worries under Xi Jinping is heavily censored across digital space.

Restrictive webspace regulations under Xi-Xinping

China has stepped up cyberspace administration with new rules for users. Starting next week, the country will require bloggers and influencers to have a government-approved credential before they can publish on a wide range of subjects.

Your Story: China expands control over Digital realm

An Australian travel-blogging couple held in Iran on spying charges have been freed and returned home, authorities said Saturday, in a possible swap for an Iranian student&nbsp;wanted in the US.

Perth-based Jolie King and Mark Firkin had been documenting their journey from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/australian-pm-to-visit-india-in-january-calls-india-a-natural-partner-253636">Australia</a> to Britain on social media for the past two years but went silent after posting updates from Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan about three months ago.

The pair, who have tens of thousands of followers on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, were alleged to have used a drone to take pictures of "military sites and forbidden areas", an Iranian judiciary spokesman said last month.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said they were released after "very sensitive negotiations" and had been reunited with their family in Australia.

"We are extremely happy and relieved&nbsp;to be safely back in Australia with those we love," the couple said in a statement issued by the foreign ministry in Canberra.

"While the past few months have been very difficult, we know it has also been tough for those back home who have been worried for us", they added.

Hours later, state media in Tehran said an Iranian student held in Australia for 13 months on accusations of circumventing US sanctions on military equipment had also been released and returned home.

Australia's attorney general Christian Porter confirmed in a statement that he had stopped&nbsp;the extradition of Reza Dehbashi to the United States.

But he dismissed "speculation" over the case, amid media reports including in the Sydney Morning Herald that it could be part of a prisoner swap involving the bloggers.

Porter declined to comment further "particularly when any such response from me may diminish our government's capacity to deal with future matters of this type in Australia's best interests."

State media in Tehran said Dehbashi, a PhD student at the University of Queensland, had been detained on allegations of "attempting to purchase and transfer advanced American military radar equipment via Dubai to Iran".

It said Dehbashi had dismissed the charges as "a misunderstanding".

Emotional reunion

An Iranian state channel showed footage of what it said was Dehbashi arriving at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport and hugging a tearful woman apparently from his family.

The Australian couple sought privacy, however.

They said in their statement that intense media coverage "may not be helpful" in the negotiations for the release of a third Australian detained in Iran in an unrelated case.

Melbourne University Academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who specialises in Middle East politics with a focus on Gulf states, had been detained for "some months" before King and Firkin were arrested.

Her case also came to light last month. Moore-Gilbert is accused by Iranian authorities of "spying for another country".

Negotiations over the fate of the university lecturer are "very long term", Payne said.

"She has been detained for some considerable time and has faced the Iranian legal system and has been convicted and sentenced," the minister said.

"We don't accept the charges on which she was convicted and we would seek to have her returned to Australia," Payne added, declining to comment further on the case.

Payne has maintained the cases of those detained were not related to diplomatic tensions.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-nations-urges-australia-to-release-tamil-family-253223">Australia</a> said in August that it would join a US-led naval coalition to escort commercial ships in the Gulf, after a spate of attacks blamed on Iran but that Tehran denied.

However, that announcement is believed to have come after the arrests.

Prisoner swap proposal

News of the release of the King and Firkin comes just weeks after an Iranian woman arrested in Australia and sentenced in the United States was returned home.

Negar Ghodskani was sentenced last month in Minneapolis to 27 months in prison for violating sanctions against Tehran, but was released following time served in custody in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-asked-australia-for-help-discrediting-russia-probe-252947">Australia and the United States</a>.

After her extradition to the US, she confessed to participation in a conspiracy to illegally export technology to Iran in breach of sanctions, according to the US Justice Department.

She was pregnant when she was arrested in 2017 in Australia where she was a legal resident. She gave birth while in Australian custody and her son was sent to Iran to live with his father.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in April floated a potential prisoner swap with a British-Iranian mother being held in Tehran.

He suggested exchanging Ghodskani for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, in jail in Tehran for alleged sedition.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe has also been separated from her daughter while in custody.

An Australian travel-blogging couple held in Iran on spying charges have been freed and returned home, authorities said Saturday, in a possible swap for an Iranian student wanted in the US.

An Australian travel-blogging couple held in Iran on spying charges have been freed and returned home, authorities said Saturday, in a possible swap for an Iranian student wanted in the US. Perth-based Jolie King and Mark Firkin had been documenting their journey from Australia to Britain on social media for the past two years but went silent after posting updates from Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan about three months ago. The pair, who have tens of thousands of followers on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, were alleged to have used a drone to take pictures of "military sites and forbidden areas", an Iranian judiciary spokesman said last month. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said they were released after "very sensitive negotiations" and had been reunited with their family in Australia. "We are extremely happy and relieved to be safely back in Australia with those we love," the couple said in a statement issued by the foreign ministry in Canberra. "While the past few months have been very difficult, we know it has also been tough for those back home who have been worried for us", they added. Hours later, state media in Tehran said an Iranian student held in Australia for 13 months on accusations of circumventing US sanctions on military equipment had also been released and returned home. Australia's attorney general Christian Porter confirmed in a statement that he had stopped the extradition of Reza Dehbashi to the United States. But he dismissed "speculation" over the case, amid media reports including in the Sydney Morning Herald that it could be part of a prisoner swap involving the bloggers. Porter declined to comment further "particularly when any such response from me may diminish our government's capacity to deal with future matters of this type in Australia's best interests." State media in Tehran said Dehbashi, a PhD student at the University of Queensland, had been detained on allegations of "attempting to purchase and transfer advanced American military radar equipment via Dubai to Iran". It said Dehbashi had dismissed the charges as "a misunderstanding". Emotional reunion An Iranian state channel showed footage of what it said was Dehbashi arriving at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport and hugging a tearful woman apparently from his family. The Australian couple sought privacy, however. They said in their statement that intense media coverage "may not be helpful" in the negotiations for the release of a third Australian detained in Iran in an unrelated case. Melbourne University Academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who specialises in Middle East politics with a focus on Gulf states, had been detained for "some months" before King and Firkin were arrested. Her case also came to light last month. Moore-Gilbert is accused by Iranian authorities of "spying for another country". Negotiations over the fate of the university lecturer are "very long term", Payne said. "She has been detained for some considerable time and has faced the Iranian legal system and has been convicted and sentenced," the minister said. "We don't accept the charges on which she was convicted and we would seek to have her returned to Australia," Payne added, declining to comment further on the case. Payne has maintained the cases of those detained were not related to diplomatic tensions. Australia said in August that it would join a US-led naval coalition to escort commercial ships in the Gulf, after a spate of attacks blamed on Iran but that Tehran denied. However, that announcement is believed to have come after the arrests. Prisoner swap proposal News of the release of the King and Firkin comes just weeks after an Iranian woman arrested in Australia and sentenced in the United States was returned home. Negar Ghodskani was sentenced last month in Minneapolis to 27 months in prison for violating sanctions against Tehran, but was released following time served in custody in Australia and the United States. After her extradition to the US, she confessed to participation in a conspiracy to illegally export technology to Iran in breach of sanctions, according to the US Justice Department. She was pregnant when she was arrested in 2017 in Australia where she was a legal resident. She gave birth while in Australian custody and her son was sent to Iran to live with his father. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in April floated a potential prisoner swap with a British-Iranian mother being held in Tehran. He suggested exchanging Ghodskani for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, in jail in Tehran for alleged sedition. Zaghari-Ratcliffe has also been separated from her daughter while in custody.

Australian bloggers return home after being held for spying charges in Iran

A doctor in Vietnam has been sentenced to four years in jail for &quot;anti-state propaganda&quot;, state media reported, as part of a fresh wave of convictions in the one-party state accused of waging a crackdown on critics.

Bloggers, activists and lawyers are routinely jailed in communist Vietnam, where a hardline leadership in place since 2016 is accused of tightening its grip on dissidents.&nbsp;

At least 24 activists were convicted last year, with another 28 arrested, according to Human Rights Watch, making 2017 one of the worst years for activists in the country.&nbsp;

The latest to be jailed is Ho Van Hai, 54, a doctor who was arrested in November 2016 over a series of blog posts criticising the government.

He was sentenced to four years in prison after a one-day trial in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday, state-controlled VNExpress reported.

&quot;Of the 75 articles posted online and stored in Hai&#39;s computer, the authorities identified 36 articles that violated the regulation on management, provision and use of Internet services and information on the internet,&quot; according to the VnExpress report.

Hai is also accused of calling for public protests against Taiwanese steel giant Formosa, which dumped toxic waste into the ocean killing tonnes of fish along Vietnam&#39;s central coast in 2016.

The disaster hit livelihoods hard and sparked rare nationwide protests.

Hai is the fourth person jailed in Vietnam this week, after three men were convicted Wednesday also under Article 88 of the criminal code -- anti-state propaganda, which rights groups say is vaguely worded and used to curb dissent.

Last month, four Buddhist activists were jailed on the same charge for flying the flag of the defeated southern regime loathed by the ruling communists.

The UN Human Rights Office for Southeast Asia called for Hai&#39;s release after his arrest, criticising Article 88, which runs &quot;contrary to international human rights standards and should be repealed&quot;, said the office&#39;s acting representative Laurent Meillan in November 2016.&nbsp;

Bloggers, activists and lawyers are routinely jailed in communist Vietnam

A doctor in Vietnam has been sentenced to four years in jail for "anti-state propaganda", state media reported, as part of a fresh wave of convictions in the one-party state accused of waging a crackdown on critics. Bloggers, activists and lawyers are routinely jailed in communist Vietnam, where a hardline leadership in place since 2016 is accused of tightening its grip on dissidents. At least 24 activists were convicted last year, with another 28 arrested, according to Human Rights Watch, making 2017 one of the worst years for activists in the country. The latest to be jailed is Ho Van Hai, 54, a doctor who was arrested in November 2016 over a series of blog posts criticising the government. He was sentenced to four years in prison after a one-day trial in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday, state-controlled VNExpress reported. "Of the 75 articles posted online and stored in Hai's computer, the authorities identified 36 articles that violated the regulation on management, provision and use of Internet services and information on the internet," according to the VnExpress report. Hai is also accused of calling for public protests against Taiwanese steel giant Formosa, which dumped toxic waste into the ocean killing tonnes of fish along Vietnam's central coast in 2016. The disaster hit livelihoods hard and sparked rare nationwide protests. Hai is the fourth person jailed in Vietnam this week, after three men were convicted Wednesday also under Article 88 of the criminal code -- anti-state propaganda, which rights groups say is vaguely worded and used to curb dissent. Last month, four Buddhist activists were jailed on the same charge for flying the flag of the defeated southern regime loathed by the ruling communists. The UN Human Rights Office for Southeast Asia called for Hai's release after his arrest, criticising Article 88, which runs "contrary to international human rights standards and should be repealed", said the office's acting representative Laurent Meillan in November 2016.

Vietnam doctor jailed for 'anti-state' posts

Two Pakistani bloggers freed after vanishing earlier this month have now left the country because of safety fears following a virulent media campaign painting them as blasphemers, relatives said Monday.&nbsp;

They were among five men who went missing from various cities in Pakistan.&nbsp;

Four of the five,who had taken a stance against religious intolerance and criticised the military,&nbsp;have been freed, their families said.&nbsp;

They would not comment on where the men had been held.&nbsp;

Their disappearance triggered nationwide protests and raised concerns of government involvement, claims denied by officials.

Allegations on social media networks Facebook and Twitter and by right-wing TV hosts that the missing men were blasphemers have triggered a flood of threats despite denials from their worried families.

Such allegations can be fatal in deeply conservative Muslim Pakistan, where 17 people remain on death row for blasphemy.

Liaqat Ali Goraya, the father of blogger Waqas Goraya, confirmed to AFP that his son had left the country.&nbsp;

&quot;Waqas has gone, we`ve sent him abroad,&quot; said his father, declining to comment on who had held him. Before he went missing, Goraya was based in the Netherlands but had returned to Pakistan for a family wedding.

A source close to the family of blogger Asim Saeed confirmed he too had left the country.&nbsp;

His father Ghulam Haider Akbar declined to specify his son`s whereabouts but said the family had received death threats purporting to come from the anti-Shiite Laskhar-e-Jhangvi group.

&quot;You who have blasphemed deserve death. You are out of Islam and should be ready for a painful punishment, which will be remembered by your generations to come,&quot; a text message said, according to Akbar.

A relative of a third blogger, who asked to remain anonymous, said both he and his family had left their home town and were in hiding.&nbsp;

&quot;We are going to think about it for a few days and assess the situation. If it seems OK, we`ll return, else we`ll try to go abroad,&quot; the relative said.

Zeeshan Haider said his brother, poet and activist Salman Haider, was &quot;fine and safe&quot;.

The whereabouts of the fifth man remains unknown. Rights groups have long criticised the colonial-era blasphemy legislation as a vehicle for personal vendettas as even unproven allegations can result in mob lynchings.

Several NGOs and observers say the online campaigns are intended to silence progressive voices and are carefully coordinated.

Pakistan has had a history of enforced disappearances over the past decade, but this has mainly been confined to conflict zones near the Afghanistan border or Balochistan province, where separatists are battling for independence.

The country is among the world&#39;s most dangerous countries for journalists. Reporting which is critical of security policies controlled by the powerful military is considered a major red flag, with reporters at times detained, beaten and even killed.

On Monday satirical news site Khabaristan Times announced it had been blocked by Pakistan&#39;s Internet regulatory authority. (The <a href="https://khabaristantimes.com/">website</a>, however, can be accessed from WION&#39;s headquarters in New Delhi.)

The site &quot;has been blocked on complaints of objectionable content&quot;, a government source confirmed to AFP, requesting anonymity.

The site often poked fun at the military and politicians.

(AFP)

They were among five men who went missing from various cities in Pakistan

Two Pakistani bloggers freed after vanishing earlier this month have now left the country because of safety fears following a virulent media campaign painting them as blasphemers, relatives said Monday. They were among five men who went missing from various cities in Pakistan. Four of the five,who had taken a stance against religious intolerance and criticised the military, have been freed, their families said. They would not comment on where the men had been held. Their disappearance triggered nationwide protests and raised concerns of government involvement, claims denied by officials. Allegations on social media networks Facebook and Twitter and by right-wing TV hosts that the missing men were blasphemers have triggered a flood of threats despite denials from their worried families. Such allegations can be fatal in deeply conservative Muslim Pakistan, where 17 people remain on death row for blasphemy. Liaqat Ali Goraya, the father of blogger Waqas Goraya, confirmed to AFP that his son had left the country. "Waqas has gone, we`ve sent him abroad," said his father, declining to comment on who had held him. Before he went missing, Goraya was based in the Netherlands but had returned to Pakistan for a family wedding. A source close to the family of blogger Asim Saeed confirmed he too had left the country. His father Ghulam Haider Akbar declined to specify his son`s whereabouts but said the family had received death threats purporting to come from the anti-Shiite Laskhar-e-Jhangvi group. "You who have blasphemed deserve death. You are out of Islam and should be ready for a painful punishment, which will be remembered by your generations to come," a text message said, according to Akbar. A relative of a third blogger, who asked to remain anonymous, said both he and his family had left their home town and were in hiding. "We are going to think about it for a few days and assess the situation. If it seems OK, we`ll return, else we`ll try to go abroad," the relative said. Zeeshan Haider said his brother, poet and activist Salman Haider, was "fine and safe". The whereabouts of the fifth man remains unknown. Rights groups have long criticised the colonial-era blasphemy legislation as a vehicle for personal vendettas as even unproven allegations can result in mob lynchings. Several NGOs and observers say the online campaigns are intended to silence progressive voices and are carefully coordinated. Pakistan has had a history of enforced disappearances over the past decade, but this has mainly been confined to conflict zones near the Afghanistan border or Balochistan province, where separatists are battling for independence. The country is among the world's most dangerous countries for journalists. Reporting which is critical of security policies controlled by the powerful military is considered a major red flag, with reporters at times detained, beaten and even killed. On Monday satirical news site Khabaristan Times announced it had been blocked by Pakistan's Internet regulatory authority. (The website, however, can be accessed from WION's headquarters in New Delhi.) The site "has been blocked on complaints of objectionable content", a government source confirmed to AFP, requesting anonymity. The site often poked fun at the military and politicians. (AFP)

Freed Pakistani bloggers leave country over safety concerns, say relatives

In the wake of a blogger getting arrested for mocking Islam on Facebook in India, here is a list of some active netizens around the world who came at the crossroads with law of their country:&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;
<ul>
	<li>Asif Mohiuddin</li>
</ul>
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/asif-20160921071630.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Blogger Asif Mohiuddin
</div>
The 29-year-old blogger from Bangladesh was arrested on charges of defaming Islam. As part of a police crackdown on elements that use religion as a violence-incitement tool, &nbsp;Asif was arrested on charges of hurting religious sentiment through his writings on blogs and Facebook. Several others have been detained under the same law in the country.&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;
<ul>
	<li>Ismail &lsquo;Hilath&rsquo; Rasheed</li>
</ul>
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_hkg7553039-20160921072542.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Ismail &lsquo;Hilath&rsquo; Rasheed from Maldives
</div>
The blogger from Maldives was arrested for his involvement in a silent protest for religious tolerance. The protest took an ugly turn where several individuals attacked the group with stones and Rasheed was rushed to the hospital. 
 
&nbsp;
<ul>
	<li>Raif Badawi</li>
</ul>
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_arp4358158-20160921073013.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Ensaf Haidar holds a picture of her husband Raif Badawi after accepting the European Parliament&#39;s Sakharov Human Rights Prize on behalf of her husband
</div>
The blogger from Saudi Arabia was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for setting up a website that championed free speech in the kingdom. His blog was subsequently shut down after his arrest.&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;
<ul>
	<li>Avijit Roy</li>
</ul>
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_del6397707-20160921073410.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
A Bangladeshi social activist pays his last respects to slain US blogger of Bangladeshi origin, Avijit Roy
</div>
The US blogger of Bangladeshi origin was hacked to death by a mob in Bangladesh for his controversial writings on religion and science. Before the incident, he had been getting several death threats from Islamists.&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;
<ul>
	<li>Ruslan Kotsaba</li>
</ul>
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/ruslan-20160921073930.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Ruslan Kotsaba from Ukraine
</div>
The Ukrainian blogger has been detained since February 2015 on charges of treason and obstructing the work of armed forces in Ukraine.&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;
<ul>
	<li>Tran Huynh Duy Thuc</li>
</ul>
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_par3002035-20160921074154.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Blogger Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, stands during his trial at Ho Chi Minh City People&#39;s Court House
</div>
Tran is a Vietnamese blogger who is currently serving a 16 year prison sentence for promoting anti-Socialist, anti-government propaganda and undertaking activities &lsquo;aimed at subverting the people&rsquo;s government&rsquo;. &nbsp;He is jailed, along with three other activists, after a trial lasting one day.&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;
<ul>
	<li>Yang Kaiheng</li>
</ul>
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_8k1lt-20160921074616.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Ai Takagi and her husband Yang Kaiheng arrive at the court in Singapore
</div>
The 27-year-old blogger from Singapore ran a website called The Real Singapore, a site that was getting about 13 million views a month and was generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising revenue. The government ordered a shutdown and arrested the blogger for provoking hatred against foreigners in Singapore and &#39;milking that hatred for profit&#39;.&nbsp; 
 
Curbing of freedom of expression for bloggers has become an issue globally.&nbsp;Let us know your views on this.&nbsp; 
 
 
(Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

Freedom of expression is not so 'free' and these writers paid for it

In the wake of a blogger getting arrested for mocking Islam on Facebook in India, here is a list of some active netizens around the world who came at the crossroads with law of their country: Asif Mohiuddin Blogger Asif Mohiuddin The 29-year-old blogger from Bangladesh was arrested on charges of defaming Islam. As part of a police crackdown on elements that use religion as a violence-incitement tool, Asif was arrested on charges of hurting religious sentiment through his writings on blogs and Facebook. Several others have been detained under the same law in the country. Ismail ‘Hilath’ Rasheed Ismail ‘Hilath’ Rasheed from Maldives The blogger from Maldives was arrested for his involvement in a silent protest for religious tolerance. The protest took an ugly turn where several individuals attacked the group with stones and Rasheed was rushed to the hospital. Raif Badawi Ensaf Haidar holds a picture of her husband Raif Badawi after accepting the European Parliament's Sakharov Human Rights Prize on behalf of her husband The blogger from Saudi Arabia was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for setting up a website that championed free speech in the kingdom. His blog was subsequently shut down after his arrest. Avijit Roy A Bangladeshi social activist pays his last respects to slain US blogger of Bangladeshi origin, Avijit Roy The US blogger of Bangladeshi origin was hacked to death by a mob in Bangladesh for his controversial writings on religion and science. Before the incident, he had been getting several death threats from Islamists. Ruslan Kotsaba Ruslan Kotsaba from Ukraine The Ukrainian blogger has been detained since February 2015 on charges of treason and obstructing the work of armed forces in Ukraine. Tran Huynh Duy Thuc Blogger Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, stands during his trial at Ho Chi Minh City People's Court House Tran is a Vietnamese blogger who is currently serving a 16 year prison sentence for promoting anti-Socialist, anti-government propaganda and undertaking activities ‘aimed at subverting the people’s government’. He is jailed, along with three other activists, after a trial lasting one day. Yang Kaiheng Ai Takagi and her husband Yang Kaiheng arrive at the court in Singapore The 27-year-old blogger from Singapore ran a website called The Real Singapore, a site that was getting about 13 million views a month and was generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising revenue. The government ordered a shutdown and arrested the blogger for provoking hatred against foreigners in Singapore and 'milking that hatred for profit'. Curbing of freedom of expression for bloggers has become an issue globally. Let us know your views on this. (Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

7 international bloggers who got arrested for crossing the line

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{7925e5b9-6228-427f-a482-00fa781626e1}{172}" paraid="1780931624" style="text-align: justify;" >The main suspect in the murder of the Bangladesh bloggers,&nbsp;Avijit&nbsp;Roy and&nbsp;Niladri&nbsp;Chattopadhyay&nbsp;Niloy, was killed in an&nbsp;alleged gunfight with the police in capital Dhaka&#39;s&nbsp;Khilgaon&nbsp;area early on Sunday. 
&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{05a0032d-ac79-453f-a114-958b5ecea2d7}{96}" paraid="295924590" style="text-align: justify;" >The suspect,&nbsp;Shariful&nbsp;alias&nbsp;Sakib&nbsp;alias Sharif alias Saleh alias&nbsp;Arif&nbsp;alias Hadi-1, was a top&nbsp;organiser&nbsp;of&nbsp;Ansarullah&nbsp;Bangla Team (ABT), Bangladesh&nbsp;newspaper,&nbsp;The Daily Star, reported&nbsp;Musudur&nbsp;Rahman, a Dhaka police officer&nbsp;as saying. ABT is a banned militant group.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{984d1263-ec83-482f-8a1a-583559350cb5}{12}" paraid="1413621411" style="text-align: justify;" >The &quot;gunfight&quot;&nbsp;apparently took place&nbsp;at&nbsp;Meradiya&nbsp;Banshpotti&nbsp;at about 2.00 am on Sunday.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{7362ad74-bce9-4f03-84af-fcff745e99de}{173}" paraid="1819828175" style="text-align: justify;" >The police had claimed they found evidence that&nbsp;Shariful&nbsp;was present at&nbsp;Dhaka University where&nbsp;Avijit&nbsp;Roy was hacked to death with&nbsp;machetes&nbsp;on February 26, 2015 and of his involvement even in the killing of&nbsp;Niladri&nbsp;Niloy.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{7d89d678-a532-47d7-8f4a-8dd68125f7d7}{27}" paraid="895991529" style="text-align: justify;" > 
Shariful, who was originally from Khulna,&nbsp;played an important role in the recruitment of ABT members, apart from providing training in&nbsp;firearms and information technology&nbsp;to the new recruits, as per the Dhaka metropolitan police&#39;s website.&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{7362ad74-bce9-4f03-84af-fcff745e99de}{159}" paraid="1494492534" style="text-align: justify;" > 
He&nbsp;was also linked to the murder attempt on&nbsp;publisher Ahmed Rashid&nbsp;Tutul&nbsp;at&nbsp;Lalmatia&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;killing of&nbsp;Riyad&nbsp;Morshed&nbsp;Babu, a student of Shanta Mariam University.&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{7362ad74-bce9-4f03-84af-fcff745e99de}{161}" paraid="1062033893" style="text-align: justify;" > 
This is not all, the police said&nbsp;Shariful&nbsp;was&nbsp;one of the brains behind the murders of&nbsp;Jagriti&nbsp;Prokashoni&nbsp;owner,&nbsp;Faisal&nbsp;Arefin&nbsp;Dipan, blogger&nbsp;Oyashiqur&nbsp;Rahman&nbsp;Babu, secular activist&nbsp;Nazim&nbsp;Uddin&nbsp;Samad&nbsp;and LGBT rights activist&nbsp;Xulhaz&nbsp;Mannan&nbsp;and his friend&nbsp;Mahbub&nbsp;Tonoy.&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{87805b9a-9ccf-46cd-b117-e1b01fe3d6f0}{205}" paraid="1372513054" style="text-align: justify;" > 
The alleged gun fight took place within hours of&nbsp;another&nbsp;suspected militant, nineteen-year-old&nbsp;Golam&nbsp;Faizullah&nbsp;Fahim, being killed in a&nbsp;reported ambush&nbsp;when he was taken along on a search for his Islamist associates, the police claimed.&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{e4ca9fd8-f38a-4e36-8526-4567b7e7bdbc}{166}" paraid="1621426751" style="text-align: justify;" > 
The search team was reportedly&nbsp;ambushed in a farmland.&nbsp;Faizullah&nbsp;was in police custody for questioning for attacking Hindu mathematics lecturer Ripon&nbsp;Chakrabarti&nbsp;and grievously injuring him&nbsp;in Bangladesh&#39;s&nbsp;Madaripur. Eyewitnesses managed to catch him and hand him to the police.&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{57b998cf-5434-431a-b2c2-d45e1cf5717d}{75}" paraid="1784564055" style="text-align: justify;" > 
As per the police,&nbsp;Fahim&nbsp;was a college student and was a member of the banned Islamist group&nbsp;Hizb&nbsp;ut-Tahrir&nbsp;--&nbsp;an international group which wants to combine all Muslim countries in a unitary Islamic state. The group is outlawed in several countries, including Bangladesh.&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{74659285-ee64-4e3d-82d9-6922b2b828be}{52}" paraid="1214658543" style="text-align: justify;" > 
Seven suspected Islamist militants have now been shot dead since Bangladesh launched a nationwide crackdown on local jihadist groups in the wake of a spike in the murders of secular activists and religious minorities.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The drive has seen more than 11,000 people including 194 militants arrested over the past week despite widespread criticism by local and international human rights groups.&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{74659285-ee64-4e3d-82d9-6922b2b828be}{74}" paraid="840182797" style="text-align: justify;" > 
Nearly 50 people have been killed over the last three years in a wave of gruesome murders targeting Hindus, Christians, Sufi Muslims, secular activists and foreigners, with most blamed on or claimed by Islamist militants.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Many of the victims were hacked to death with machetes.&nbsp; 
(WION)</div>

Seven Islamist militants have been shot dead since Bangladesh started its crackdown on Jihadist groups

The main suspect in the murder of the Bangladesh bloggers, Avijit Roy and Niladri Chattopadhyay Niloy, was killed in an alleged gunfight with the police in capital Dhaka's Khilgaon area early on Sunday. The suspect, Shariful alias Sakib alias Sharif alias Saleh alias Arif alias Hadi-1, was a top organiser of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), Bangladesh newspaper, The Daily Star, reported Musudur Rahman, a Dhaka police officer as saying. ABT is a banned militant group. The "gunfight" apparently took place at Meradiya Banshpotti at about 2.00 am on Sunday. The police had claimed they found evidence that Shariful was present at Dhaka University where Avijit Roy was hacked to death with machetes on February 26, 2015 and of his involvement even in the killing of Niladri Niloy. Shariful, who was originally from Khulna, played an important role in the recruitment of ABT members, apart from providing training in firearms and information technology to the new recruits, as per the Dhaka metropolitan police's website. He was also linked to the murder attempt on publisher Ahmed Rashid Tutul at Lalmatia and the killing of Riyad Morshed Babu, a student of Shanta Mariam University. This is not all, the police said Shariful was one of the brains behind the murders of Jagriti Prokashoni owner, Faisal Arefin Dipan, blogger Oyashiqur Rahman Babu, secular activist Nazim Uddin Samad and LGBT rights activist Xulhaz Mannan and his friend Mahbub Tonoy. The alleged gun fight took place within hours of another suspected militant, nineteen-year-old Golam Faizullah Fahim, being killed in a reported ambush when he was taken along on a search for his Islamist associates, the police claimed. The search team was reportedly ambushed in a farmland. Faizullah was in police custody for questioning for attacking Hindu mathematics lecturer Ripon Chakrabarti and grievously injuring him in Bangladesh's Madaripur. Eyewitnesses managed to catch him and hand him to the police. As per the police, Fahim was a college student and was a member of the banned Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir -- an international group which wants to combine all Muslim countries in a unitary Islamic state. The group is outlawed in several countries, including Bangladesh. Seven suspected Islamist militants have now been shot dead since Bangladesh launched a nationwide crackdown on local jihadist groups in the wake of a spike in the murders of secular activists and religious minorities. The drive has seen more than 11,000 people including 194 militants arrested over the past week despite widespread criticism by local and international human rights groups. Nearly 50 people have been killed over the last three years in a wave of gruesome murders targeting Hindus, Christians, Sufi Muslims, secular activists and foreigners, with most blamed on or claimed by Islamist militants. Many of the victims were hacked to death with machetes. (WION)

Bangladesh bloggers' murder:?Main suspect?dead in gunfight with police

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