Shia homeo doctor killed
Unidentified criminals hacked a Shia homeopathy doctor to death in Kaliganj upazila of Jhenidah on Monday night, over two months after another homeopathic physician was killed in the district.
The victim, 48-year-old Abdur Razzak, used to give religious sermons to his followers at his dispensary on Ganna Road in Kaliganj municipality, said police.
Meanwhile, global terror outfit Islamic State has claimed the responsibility of the killing, according to US-based SITE Intelligence Group.
The Daily Star could not independently verify the claim.
Kaliganj police, however, suspected that the murder was a result of previous enmity.
Locals found Razzak lying seriously injured on a road near the upazila agriculture office around 10:00pm on Monday. He was on his way home to Chapali area of Kaliganj municipality, said Feroz Hossain, headmaster of Bejpara Higher Secondary School.
The victim was rushed to Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared him dead. Police later recovered his body, said Anwar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kaliganj Police Station.
Razzak's wife Shahnaj Parvin said an anonymous caller phoned her husband about a month ago and demanded Tk 2 lakh as extortion money.
“He had no enemy. He practiced homeopathic medicine and followed Shia faith.”
She added that some drug peddlers recently rented a house near theirs and had been selling illegal drugs. Razzak protested the illegal business.
Headmaster Feroz Hossain said Razzak, a father of two sons, used to hold regular meetings with his some 20 followers at the dispensary. He even had a meeting with them on Monday night.
Also a hafiz, one who has completely memorised the Qur'an, Razzak had relocated to Kaliganj municipality from his ancestral home at Khorashuni village under Kaliganj upazila about eight years ago, said locals.
An autopsy was carried out on the victim's body at Jhenidah Sadar Hospital yesterday afternoon. Hospital sources said the body bore marks of hack wounds.
He was buried at his family graveyard at Khorashuni village around 5:00pm.
Victim's brother Shawkat Ali filed a murder case with Kaliganj Police Station, accusing unnamed people.
Yesterday, the US embassy in Dhaka offered condolences to Razzak's family members.
“We strongly support Bangladesh's proud tradition of tolerance and communal harmony, which we believe will withstand the efforts of violent extremists who seek to destroy it,” the embassy said in a statement posted on its official Facebook page.
On October 24 last year, two men were killed and scores injured in a bomb attack on a gathering in front of the Hussaini Dalan in Old Dhaka.
The following month, armed assailants stormed a Shia mosque in Shibganj upazila of Bogra and opened fire on people praying inside, killing the muezzin of the mosque and injuring three others.
On January 7 this year, homeopathic doctor Jamiruddin Khaza was hacked to dead at his dispensary at Bedeghat Bazar in Jhenidah.
The IS reportedly claimed the credit for killing Jamiruddin. The claim could not be independently verified by this newspaper.
Our correspondent in Jhenidah contributed to this report.
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