Shrine caretaker stabbed to death in Noakhali

The caretaker of a shrine has been stabbed to death in Noakhali’s Sonaimuri, in what appears to be a murder over personal feud, police said. Sona Mia, 65, has been working as the caretaker – or khadem in local parlance – at Afzal Shah Mazar for the last three years. Police have arrested two suspects, Noakhali district police chief Elias Sharif told the Dhaka Tribune around 11:30pm on Wednesday. "After Wednesday's evening prayers, Sona Mia was lighting candle at the shrine when two men attacked him with sharp weapons," the police superintendent said. The attackers stabbed the victim in the throat and other parts of his body. Locals caught two suspected attackers – Elias and Sujon – when they were trying to flee the scene, the SP said. However, Afzal Shah's grandson and also Nadna Union Parishad member Shamsuddoha Majnu told the Dhaka Tribune's Noakhali correspondent that three youths, pretending to light candles, had entered the shrine around 8:30pm. They took the khadem to a nearby bush saying they had things to discuss with him where they stabbed him and slit his throat before trying to escape. "Sona Mia's wife came to her husband's aid hearing his scream and shouted for help," Majnu said. "Locals rushed to the scene and caught one Elias."