19 people have been identified in the attack on the Durbar and the killing of the pir in Kushtia, many have given cover

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Police have identified at least 19 people who participated in the attack, vandalism and killing of Pir Abdur Rahman alias Shamim in Daulatpur, Kushtia. Among them, the names and addresses of at least 13 people have been confirmed by the investigating police officers to be associated with political parties.

Several officials of the district police analyzed the video and some Facebook IDs about the attack on the Darbar for two days and confirmed that the students of some nearby madrasas were involved in the attack. Some of the attackers had their faces covered. He also got to know their names. There are 19 such people. All their homes are in Phillipnagar and nearby Charsadipur and Islampur. After the incident, many people left the area and took shelter.

On Monday afternoon, a district police official told Prothom Alo on the condition of anonymity that two political party leaders were found to be involved. According to eyewitnesses, one of them was also seen at the spot. The person who broke the door of Pir’s house and got out and hit him has been identified. His name is Rajiv Dafadar. He is a carpenter by profession. Father’s name is Ghazi Dafadar. Rajib did politics of Jamaat-e-Islami. He has been out of the area since five o’clock in the afternoon on the day of the incident.

No one was found at Rajib’s wood shop at Darogar Mor Bazar in Philipnagar village on Monday afternoon. When shown the video of Peer dragging out and killing a tea shopkeeper there, he said, “It’s Rajib.” After 5 pm on Saturday, he came to the shop and left. Didn’t come anymore.’

Rajiv’s house is just a few shops away from this shop. Rajib’s father was not found when he went home. But Rajib’s sister’s husband Jahangir Alam appeared there. He told Prothom Alo that he is looking after Rajib’s wood shop. Rajiv’s whereabouts are unknown since Saturday. Rajib also campaigned for Jamaat in the last parliamentary elections. Jamaat leader of the area lives with Khawaja Ahmed.

Khawaja Ahmed, resident of Phillipnagar village and member of Daulatpur Upazila Jamaat committee (former president of the district student camp) refused to comment.

When Daulatpur Upazila Jamaat’s Amir Belal Uddin called, he said he was in an event and said he would talk later.

When contacted, District Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary Suja Uddin Zoardar told Prothom Alo, “As far as I have heard, the people of the area attacked the Durbar in anger. They can be associated with all the political parties of the area. It is not known whether there is anyone from the Jamaat.

Sources related to the police investigation say that most of those who took part in the attack in the first round left. In the first phase, a group of 5 to 7 attackers directly climbed to the second floor of a building and went in front of the Pir’s room. Rajiv Dafadar broke the door of Pir. Then he pulled Pir out and hit him with something hard in his hand. Then some people entered the room and vandalized and looted.

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According to the information received from the witnesses, the police came to know that Asadul Islam, president of Daulatpur upazila branch of Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis went to the Durbar with the procession. His house is in Philipnagar village.

When contacted, Asadul Islam told Prothom Alo at around 7:30 on Monday night, “No one can show any evidence of leading the procession or being involved in the incident.” He admitted that a police officer contacted him on the phone before the incident and said, “The police officer wanted to know whether there was any threat of an attack or not.” I said I don’t know anything about it. I said that there will be a meeting with the village Ulamas in the afternoon after Asar. But I don’t know who went to the court in the afternoon.

Asadul Islam said that he spoke with Jamaat-e-Islami leader Khawaja Ahmed on Saturday afternoon about maintaining peace and order in the area. In response to a question, he told Prothom Alo, “I went to visit there (Darbar) around three in the afternoon.” To see what happened.

A few local residents, who did not want to be named, said that Pir Abdur Rahman alias Shamim made derogatory comments about the Holy Qur’an — a 30-second video a few years ago went viral on social media last Friday morning. This creates anger among different classes of people.

In view of this, hundreds of people gathered in Abeder Ghat area, half a kilometer away from Shamim’s Darbar, on Saturday morning. After noon they attacked the court and hacked and beat Shamim to death in the presence of the police.

Kushtia Additional Superintendent of Police (Veramara Circle) Delwar Hossain told Prothom Alo that there has been no arrest so far in the incident, the family had decided not to file a case until Monday afternoon. In the evening, the family said that they will come to file a case. If there is a case, the members of law enforcement along with the police will intensify the operation.

On Monday around 2:30 PM, the deceased Pir Abdur Rahman went to the Durbar Sharif and it was seen that there was silence in the Durbar Sharif surrounded by bamboo groves. At least 15 policemen were seen sitting in the bamboo garden with the Durbar. A member of the police said that they are there day and night alternately. No devotees and people were found inside the court. Everything that has been vandalized is haphazardly scattered. Even in the afternoon, smoke was seen coming out of the burning coil of a half-baked house. Villagers did not want to comment on the incident on Saturday.