Staff Reporter :
The police arrested five members of the banned militant outfit Jam’matul Mujahedin Bangladesh [JMB] in connection with the attempt to murder Christian pastor Luk Sarkar at Ishwardi in Pabna.
One of them identified as Md Rakibul Hasan alias Rabbi, 22, son of Abdul Jalil, from Gangkola village of Nurpur union under Sadar upazila in Pabna district has already given confessional statement in the court, admitting his involvement in the crime.
The other accused are Abdur Rahim Sheikh, 25, from Singa Palpara village of the same upazila; Abdul Alim, 36, son of Nawsher Pramanik, from Niamatullapur village under Nazirpur union, Shariful Islam alias Tulib,22, son of Mansur Ali, from Madhya Para village under Mazidpur union, and Amzad Hossain,30, son of Kashem Ali from Baghahbari village under Ullapara upazila of Sirajganj district.
“The police arrested the JMB operatives from Dhaka, Pabna and Sirajganj,” said Alamgir Kabir, Superintendent of Police of Pabna district on Monday.
The SP categorically claimed that the arrested person had taken an attempt to kill Christian pastor Luk Sarkar.
On October 5, Luk Sarkar, 53, a preacher of Christian Baptist Mission ‘Faith Bible Church’ escaped death despite a gang of assailants tried to slaughter him in his school para rented residence on the Biman Bandar Sarak.
After the incident, the police arrested Obaidul Kabir, son of Abdus Salam, from Aowtapara village under Ishwardi upazila the following day and claimed him as an activist of the Islami Chhatra Shibir.
Quoting the victim’s wife Padma Sarkar, police said that three youths came to their house riding a motorcycle at about 9:00am on the pretension of listening to sermons from the Bible from her husband. They all sat in their drawing room.
When she [Padma Sarkar] went to the adjacent room, the assailants quickly closed the door of the drawing room and stabbed her husband [preacher] in the throat.
Md Rakibul Hasan confessed his guilt in a Pabna court on Sunday afternoon.
“Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate of Pabna Rezaul Karim recorded the statement. In his confessional statement, Rabbi admitted that he tried to kill Christian pastor Luk Sarkar with a knife,” said Additional SP of Pabna Liton Kumar Saha. He said the judicial magistrate had ordered to send Rabbi to jail.
