In a second attack on Shia Muslims in just over a month, armed assailants yesterday stormed a Shia mosque in Shibganj upazila and opened fire on devotees, killing one and injuring three others.
The dead is Moazzem Hossain, 70, of Haripur. A farmer, he was also the muezzin of the mosque.
It was not clear who carried out the attack or why. Police said they were looking into the shooting.
Police said three to four gunmen stormed the mosque, Mosjid Al Hussain, at Haripur bus stop at Atmul union and started shooting randomly at 30 to 40 Shia Muslims.
The attack happened around 5:45pm when devotees were preparing for Esha (evening) prayers after finishing Magrib prayers (afternoon prayers).
By tradition, the Shia community offers these two prayers one after another.
Moazzem Hossain was hit in the head. He died at Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital where he was taken for treatment, said Dr SM Zahidul Islam of the hospital.
The injured are Shahinur Islam, 35, imam of the mosque; Abu Taher, 60, a mason; and Aftab Hossain, 42, said police and locals.
All the four were first taken to Shibganj Upazila Health Complex. But as the condition of Moazzem and two others deteriorated, they were shifted to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital.
“We were preparing for Esha prayers when armed assailants started firing from behind,” said Mohammad Ukil Mia, nephew of Moazzem.
The shooting came hours after detectives in Dhaka claimed to have identified five people over the attack on Hossaini Dalan on the night of October 24.
One of the five was arrested and another died in police shootout on Wednesday, police said.
The bomb attack on Ashura gathering happened when people were gathering at the building, about half an hour before the traditional Tajia procession was to be brought out from there to mark the holy Ashura.
The day marks the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), and the Shia community has been observing the day for centuries. But it was the first time that they came under such an attack in Bangladesh. Shias are minority in Bangladesh.
Two people died in that attack.
Briefing reporters in the capital yesterday, detectives claimed five operatives of a faction of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) carried out the attack.
Source: The Daily Star
