A 55-year-old businessman was found dead with his throat slit at an abandoned Buddhist monastery in Naikhongchhari Upazila of Bandarban on Friday.
The deceased was identified as Jafar Alam Babul.
Police recovered his body around 11am from the premises of the abandoned monastery at Chadu Para in Baishari Union. The site is locally known as Dhungchhai Marma’s Kyang.
Naikhongchhari Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Mozammel Haque confirmed the incident, saying police suspect that the murder took place sometime on Thursday night.
Following the killing, tension has been prevailing temporarily in the Baishari area. However, police have yet to identify the motive behind the murder or those involved.
Local sources said a rubber garden adjacent to the crime scene had been mortgaged to Babul’s son-in-law. They suspect the killing may have been linked to disputes over the control of the garden or financial transactions involving it.
Another source said gambling sessions were regularly held at night in the courtyard of the abandoned monastery, raising the possibility that the murder could be linked to gambling-related disputes.
OC Mozammel Haque said police had launched an investigation into the incident as a priority.
He declined to provide further details before the investigation was completed.
