A Facebook page, apparently representing an unknown militant group, has claimed the responsibility of killing Rajshahi University professor Shafiul Islam.
The page, Ansar al Islam Bangladesh 2, claimed to have executed the social science professor within hour of his death. Shafiul was hacked to death outside his house in the Chauddapai area of Rajshahi city on Saturday afternoon. He died several hours later while undergoing treatment.
Ansar al Islam Bangladesh 2 posted the announcement at 7:09pm, Saturday. The page was created hours after the killing of Professor Shafiul Islam, claiming responsibility.
"Our Mujahideens have killed an 'atheist' of Rajshahi University who had banned wearing burqa in his department," the status read.
It also warned all the "anti-Islam" people and non-believers of dire consequences. The photographs of slain professor Shafiul Islam, blogger Rajib Haider and Ashraful Alam are crossed in red ink with one word as caption under each stating, "Finished". Apart from the three photographs, blogger Ashif Mohiuddin and Rakib Mamun are also seen on the Facebook page, with text suggesting that there has already been an attempt and a second one is coming.
Shafiul's is not the first such murder that Rajshahi University has witnessed over the years. On December 24, 2004, Dr Md Yunus, a professor of economics, was hacked to death while jogging in Binodpur area near the campus.
On February 1, 2006, Professor S Taher of the Department of Geology and Mining went missing from his residence in the teachers’ quarters.
His body was found in a sewer outside his house two days later.
