'Avijit Roy taught me to be informed, bold'

Trisha Ahmed, the daughter of slain writer-blogger Avijit Roy, remembers him as a fun dad who taught her to be informed, bold, and unafraid.

Ahmed said her father has gained worldwide attention to the oppression and murder of scientific thought in Bangladesh, bdnews24.com reported.

After a year of the Bangladesh-born US citizen's murder in Dhaka, Avijit's daughter recalled him as a person who treated her as his equal.

"It felt strange to call him dad because he had the aura and wit of a fun uncle," said the second-year student at the Johns Hopkins University at Baltimore, US.

Wit did not take away the seriousness with which Avijit approached rationalism, Ahmed said.

"I know that Al-Qaeda, Islamic State (IS), and other manifestations of religious extremism are alive and well. But by writing and sharing my story, I am making my impact. I am slowly, thoughtfully, and certainly chipping away at the ideologies that seek to destroy us."

On February 26, 2015, Avijit Roy was killed by Islamic fundamentalist in Bangladesh during his visit to Dhaka for the launching of his new book at Bangladesh Literature Festival.