Leading Bangladesh author stabbed

Waliur Rahman
BBC correspondent in Dhaka

A leading and controversial author in Bangladesh has been stabbed and critically wounded on the University of Dhaka campus.

Police said three youths stabbed Dr Humayun Azad and exploded two bombs to make their escape on Friday night.

Dr Azad, a professor in the Bengali department, is being treated in Dhaka's Combined Military Hospital.

He recently wrote a book critical of some Pakistanis for their role before Bangladeshi independence in 1971.

Doctors said Dr Azad had lost a huge amount of blood due to deep injuries in his neck.

No one has said they carried out the attack and police could not say anything about a motive.

Dr Azad recently wrote Pak Sar Jamin Sad Bad (the first line of the Pakistani national anthem) which was critical about the role of Pakistanis and their Bangladeshi collaborators before the independence of Bangladesh in 1971.

Several Islamist party activists denounced the book when it was published.