Criminals hack Khadem of Saidpur shrine

Unidentified criminals hacked a khadem of a mazar at Hatikhana in the district's Saidpur municipality area on Thursday evening.

The victim, Md Hasnayen, 60, suffered critical injuries in the neck and is undergoing treatment at Rangpur Medical College Hospital.

He was sitting alone at the shrine and doing zikir (repeated utterance of God's names) after Maghrib prayers when some three assailants stabbed him in the back of his neck with knives and fled, said locals.

Locals added they entered the mazar after seeing some people flee and found the victim lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

Rushed to a Saidpur hospital, Hasnayen was immediately referred to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.

The mazar secretary, Abdul Halim, filed a case with Saidpur Police Station accusing unnamed persons yesterday morning. Police detained Pappu, 28, a resident of the area, as a suspect. 

Locals say the victim appeared to have no enmity with anybody.

Officer-in-Charge Amirul Islam of the police station said they have started investigation and yet to know the motive.

In a similar attack on Tuesday night, Rahamat Ali, 55, a khadem of a mazar in Rangpur was hacked to death by unidentified criminals.

Last month, a pir (spiritual leader) and former PDB chairman was murdered at his residence in the capital's Madhya Badda area. Also, a pastor escaped an attempt on his life when three unidentified youths tried to slit his throat at his house in Pabna.