Investigators say three possible motives for the murder of former chairman of the Power Development Board (PDB), Khijir Khan, are family conflict, property and religious ideology.
Terming it a premeditated murder, Deputy Commissioner of Police of Gulshan Division Mustaq Ahmed Khan said the actual motive for the killing was still unknown and would require further investigation.
Dr Prodip Biswash, lecturer of the DMC forensics department who conducted the autopsy, told the Dhaka Tribune that the victim’s throat bore a gash 7.5 inches long and 2 inches deep.
“A sharp, mid-sized weapon was used to cut his cortical vessel, causing him to bleed to death,” Dr Prodip said, adding that there were no other injury marks on the body and no evidence of a struggle.
Analysing the cut, investigators said although a number of people were present, only one of them actually took part in the killing. They said it looked like the work of an expert professional because the weapon did not tremble while Khijir was being slaughtered.
“We are checking his [Khijir Khan’s] personal profile, family relations and property in our search for a motive. We are looking into religious ideology as he was also a pir,” Police Deputy Commissioner Mustaq said while speaking with reporters about the investigation yesterday.
On whether the murder was being treated as similar to the killing of Channel I presenter Faruqi, the police deputy commissioner said they were not sure. “But the killers carried out the murder in a planned way and brought their weapons with them.”
Mustaq said patrols had been stepped up and check posts were more vigilant around Gulshan, near where Khijir lived and where an Italian man was shot dead recently.
Khijir’s remains were received after the autopsy at Dhaka Medical College (DMC) by his son-in-law Shahidur Rahman.
Shahidur said the body would be brought to Khijir’s Madhya Badda residence first, then to the PDB office where a final prayer will be held, before finally taking it to his native village in Kushtia for burial.
‘No known enemies’
Khijir’s younger son Ahmedullah said his father was not involved in politics.
“He had no conflicts with anyone and never received any death threats,” he said. “We have no idea why my father was murdered.”
Asked about filing a case, Ahmed said after the funeral, the family will discuss filing a case.
Asked whether he felt Khijir’s murder was similar to the murder of Channel I presenter Faruqi, Ahmed said Faruqi had made public religious pronouncements whereas his father practised quietly at home.
“I do not think so,” he said. But added that Rokonuzzaman, Khijir’s nephew, was involved with various government development activities. “He was even the chief election commissioner of an engineers’ association whose elections were held several days earlier. This might be behind the killing.”
Religious discussions
Hailing from Kushtia’s Philipnagar village, Khijir’s father Rahmatullah first established the khanqa sharif in 1940.
Khijir managed the khanqa sharif after his father’s death nearly 12 years ago, setting it up in his house.
Special prayers were held at the khanqa sharif every Thursday. His followers, both men and women, discussed various religious issues, sometimes late into the night.
No arrests, no detentions
Abdul Jalil, officer-in-charge of Badda police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that regular police officials as well as detectives were investigating the case.
No arrests had been made yet. No one had been detained in connection with the killing. No case had been filed in this regard when this report was filed last night.
A year ago, on August 27, 2014, Channel I presenter Nurul Islam Faruqi was slaughtered in his home in the capital’s Rajarbagh area. In 2013, a self-proclaimed pir or holy man named Lutfar Rahman and five others were slaughtered at Lutfar’s residence in Gopibagh.
