International terrorist group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack on a Hindu grocer in Narsingdi sadar on Tuesday.
Chittaranjan Arjya, 48, who lives beside a Kali Temple in Raghunathpur Choitab area of the sadar upazila, came under machete attack at his shop around 9pm, our Narsingdi correspondent Asaduzzaman Ripon reports.
He was first taken to a private clinic and then to Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 11pm as his condition deteriorated.
“Yesterday, fighters belonging to the Islamic State targeted a Hindu priest with blade weapons in Bangladesh's Narsingdi district,” IS' Amaq agency said on Wednesday afternoon.
The Bangla version released later, however, mentioned him as one of the patrons of the temple.
Madhabdi police OC Mohammad Ilias said that Chittaranjan had conflicts with some local people. “We are investigating whether anyone else killed taking advantage of the dispute.” He added that a case would be filed after investigation.
It is the 26th attack claimed by IS supporters in Bangladesh, in which 46 people including seven Hindus have been killed, since September 28 last year, according to Amaq.
On July 1, five IS members killed 23 people including 17 foreigners in their last attack on a Gulshan eatery.
No militant group, however, claimed responsibility for the attack on a police check-post at Sholakia of Kishoreganj on July 7, the Eid Day.
The government denies that IS has organisational base in Bangladesh, and instead, blames a new faction of banned militant group Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) for the recent targeted killings including the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks.
According to locals and police, Chittaranjan was at his shop when three men came on a motorcycle. Two of them wearing masks attacked him with machetes.
At that time, as the wife of the victim and another woman came to the shop hearing him screaming, the attacks fled the scene leaving a machete on the spot.
The OC said that Chittaranjan was hacked on the head, neck, hands and abdomen.
Additional Superintendent of Police Shafiur Rahman said that they were investigating the incident.
