International militant group Islamic State yesterday claimed that their members had killed the elderly homoeopathy doctor in Jhenaidah, Chhamir Uddin Mandal, on Thursday.
The US-based SITE Intelligence Group that monitors extremist activity said the jihadist group had asserted that it killed the man because he converted from Islam, Reuters said.
"Soldiers of the caliphate were able to eliminate the apostate, named 'Samir al-Din', by stabbing him with a knife," SITE quoted the group as saying.
Religious extremism has surged in recent months in Muslim-majority Bangladesh with the IS claiming responsibility for the killings of foreigners, attacks on mosques and Christian priests over the last few months. On the other hand, newly-formed group al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent earlier claimed responsibilities for the murder of several secularists.
But the government has rejected Islamic State's claims of involvement, blaming political opponents and banned militant group Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh for the attacks.
Son of Surat Ali Mandal from Kaluhati village, Chhamir, 85, was converted to Christianity in 1993, but again switched back to Islam around four years back, locals said. Chhamir used to say prayers at the local mosque.
Sadar police OC Hassan Hafizur Rahman said Chhamir had been practising homoeopathy for the last 40 years at Belekhal Bazar. He could not ascertain why the doctor had been killed.
When contacted, Chhamir's family members said they were in the dark about the motive behind the murder.
Locals who went to the chamber around 3pm found him sitting on his chair. They first thought that he might have suffered a stroke, but later saw that he was stabbed two to three times on his chest.
The OC said that the killers might have chosen the time as there was a bull-cart race under way at the nearby ground.
Chhamir's son Monirul Islam filed a case on Thursday night against some unnamed persons.
