Bangladesh arrests suspects in Hindu priest murder

NEW DELHI: The Bangladesh government has acted fast in the case involving the murder of a Hindu priest and arrested members of the banned Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh and Jamaat-e-Islami groups. It has ruled out the role of the ISIS in the recent killings of members of the minority community, the claims of the United States-based terrorism monitoring SITE Intelligence Group notwithstanding.

Senior Bangladesh government officials told ET that the Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh and Jamaate-Islami were behind the attacks. “The Sheikh Hasina government is committed to protect all citizens including members of the minority community. JeI has been behind all such terror-related activities and these acts are signs of frustration ever since the group was banned from taking part in electoral politics,” said one of the officials, who did not wish to be identified.

The officials said the banned groups wanted to discredit the Hasina regime by murdering innocent foreigners and minorities especially since it has been praised by the international community for its crackdown against terrorism.

Sreejut Jagnaswar Brammachari, 50, of Gourio Math, Deviganj upazila-Panchagar in Bangladesh was killed on 21 February. Another monk of the Math Sree Gopal Chandra Roy was injured in the attack and hospitalised at Rangpur Medical Col Hospital.

The Indian High Commission officials in Dhaka immediately took up the matter with the Bangladesh authorities and have been in touch with Hindu community leaders in the country. On February 21 morning, three men came on a motorcycle and two of them went inside the Math and attacked the main priest of Gourio Math. Local police officers visited the Math immediately and launched investigations. They also met the local Hindu leaders, officials said.

Thereafter, the local police on Monday arrested two members o f Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh and one of Jamaat-e-Islami for the murder.