Sagar Biswas :
The mystery behind the gruesome killing of a Buddhist monk [Bhante] in the remote southeastern hill district of Bandarban intensified further on Monday due conflicting statements issued by different quarters.
A gang of assailants hacked to death monk Maung Shue U Chak, 75, inside the Chukpara Buddhist temple [locally known as Kayang] in Baishari in the Bandarban district on Saturday.
No militant group has so far claimed responsibility of the killing, which was the latest in a spate of murders of seven religious minorities and secular activists only in a month across the country.
But the police, local people, Buddhist community, Ghatak Dalal Nirul Committee and Home Minister Asaduzzamn Khan Kamal have given conflicting statements over the issue.
Terming the incident an isolated one, the Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal had said that it was an outcome of personal conflict where relatives were involved.
Refuting the claim, Shahriar Kabir, acting president of Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee said, “It is not an isolated incident, as he [monk] has no personal enmity with anyone. He was killed in a pre-planned way by fundamental and militant groups.”
On the other hand, a local lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua claimed that the monk [U Chak] had received anonymous death threats. “U Chak was living alone after leaving farming just one and a half years ago to become a full-time monk,” he said.
The police, however, on Monday claimed that three arrestees who have been nabbed by them a few hours after the incident have divulged some important information to the police.
They are: Hramong Chuck, 32, and Myanmar nationals — Zia Uddin, 28, and Rahim, 29, who were arrested from a rubber garden. Some locals saw the three persons wandering around the temple, police said.
After verifying some evidences, including footprints, police suspected that the victim was attacked by at least four to five people who had entered the compound breaking the gate.
Officer-in-Charge of Naikkhangchhari Police Station Abul Khaiyer said, “The three arrested persons have provided some important information. We’re proceeding based on their information.”
The OC said the three arrestees will be interrogated by the investigation team during the remand to extract important information.
“A Bandarban court yesterday granted all of them five day remand each when the three arrestees were produced before additional chief judicial magistrate Abu Hanif with a prayer for seven days remand,” In-Charge of Baisari Investigation Centre Anisur Rahman said.
Meanwhile, the Buddhist monks and members of ethnic community have stated demonstration to register their protest after the murder.
Leaders of Buddhist Federation said that they will arrange protest rallies across the country on Friday [May 20]. After that, they will hand over a memorandum to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina demanding exemplary justice to the killers.
Several religious organizations, including Bangladesh Buddhist Samity, Bangladesh Women Buddhist Federation and Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikkya Parisad, have extended their support to the protest programme.
Earlier, an atheist student, two gay rights activists, a liberal professor, a Hindu tailor and a Sufi Muslim leader hacked to death in a span of only thirty days.
