A professor was hacked to death by unidentified attackers in northwest Bangladesh today. The incident occured Saturday morning, is the latest in a series of brutal attacks on intellectuals and activists in the Muslim majority country.

According to reports, Rajshahi University professor AFM Rezaul Karim Siddiquee, 58, was murdered within 50 metres of his residence in Rajshahi, police said.

The motive behind the murder is not immediately known. Two years ago, another Rajshahi University teacher AKM Shafiul Islam was similarly murdered.

There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh over the past six months specially targeting minorities, secular bloggers and foreigners. Last year, four prominent secular bloggers were killed.