Professor Jafar Iqbal, a famous Bangladeshi writer who is known for his liberal writings, was knifed at a programme on Saturday afternoon at Sylhet Shahjalal University campus.

Iqbal started to bleed from his head and was rushed to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital.

University sources said that his attacker was caught and has been kept in building-2 of the university. He had not been identified at the time of writing this report.

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Sources said, a festival was underway in the department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. At the event Iqbal attended as chief guest and attacked.

A witness said that he was stabbed while he was going to the dais. Proctor Jahir Uddin Ahmed of the university said, "A boy came and stabbed his throat, chest and mouth from behind. Police immediately detained him as well as others."

There were suspicions that the attack may have been committed by militants as nothing was known about the motive behind the attack.

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Iqbal has always been outspoken about terrorism and militancy in Bangladesh.

A good number of free thinkers, writers and bloggers with were killed in the last couple of years. The militant groups claimed responsibility over these attacks.

These attacks by militants stopped for a long time given the strict law and order situation that was put in place after these incidents.