Murdered Bangladeshi professor, Rezaul Karim Siddique, ‘not an atheist’ according to daughter

Isis has claimed responsibility for the attack accusing Mr Siddique of 'calling to atheism'

Rezaul Karim Siddique was described as a ‘quiet and simple man’ (AFP)

A Bangladeshi professor who was murdered in an attack similar to previous secularist killings was not an atheist, according to his daughter.

Rezaul Karim Siddique, 58, was viciously killed while on his way to work at Rajshahi University where he taught English.

Isis has claimed responsibility for the attack, which took place on Saturday, accusing Mr Siddique of “calling to atheism”.

The attack was similar to recent killings of atheist bloggers in Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

His daughter, however, says her father believed in God and she is unable to explain the motive behind his death.

Rizwana Hasin told the BBC: “The investigators are investigating still, and we are still waiting to see the results.

“We still don’t know what was the reason. Maybe [a] misunderstanding, maybe something else. It’s still a maybe for me and it’s still a maybe for my family.”

Deputy police commissioner Nahidal Islam, said the attackers used sharp weapons to kill Professor Siddique, fleeing from the scene after the incident.

His brother, Sajidul Karim Siddique, described the victim as a “very quiet and simple man” who was focused on studying and teaching. He also led a cultural group and edited a literary magazine.

Mr Siddique is the fourth professor at Rajshahi University to have been killed in recent years, all allegedly by Islamist groups.

Police believe he may have been targeted by extremists due to his involvement in cultural activities and have detained a member of an Islamist student organisation for questioning, the BBC reports.

Parallels have been drawn between Mr Siddique's death and the murders of four secular bloggers who were killed with machetes last year.

The four men had appeared on a list of “atheist bloggers” circulated by the Ansurallah Bangla Team – purportedly an affiliate of al-Qaeda – in 2013. Local militants claimed responsibility for their deaths.

The government in Bangladesh has previously dismissed suggestions that Islamist terrorist attacks take place in the country, claiming Sunni extremists are simply not present. It has been criticised for a lack of action to address the problem.

Additional reporting by Associated Press