No arrests have been made six days after the killing of Pir Abdur Rahman Shamim, also known as Jahangir, in Kushtia’s Daulatpur, even as the main accused continues to give media interviews while police say they have yet to locate him.
Brother of the victim filed a case following the attack, naming four accused, including leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and Khelafat Majlis led by Mamunul Haque, along with several unidentified individuals.
None of the named suspects have been detained so far.
The main accused, local Jamaat leader Muhammad Khaza Ahmed, has continued to speak to the media, denying any involvement in the killing.
In interviews, he said he had no direct or indirect link to the incident and claimed he did not attend a meeting at the scene beforehand, despite being invited.
Police have yet to arrest any suspects, although video footage reportedly shows several individuals clearly.
Kushtia Superintendent of Police Mohammad Jasim Uddin said officers were conducting operations to identify and detain those involved.
“We have identified several individuals through CCTV footage and are carrying out operations to arrest them,” he said.
However, local residents told reporters that some of the accused have been seen moving openly in the area and remain active on social media.
When asked about the claims, the police chief said he was not aware of the matter.
A mob attacked Pir Shamim’s den in Kushtia’s Philipnagar union on 11 April, killing him in broad daylight.
The violence followed the circulation of a 36-second video on social media a day earlier, in which Shamim was accused of making derogatory remarks about the Holy Quran, triggering widespread anger.
On the morning of 11 April, more than a hundred people gathered at Abeder Ghat, about half a kilometre from the shrine, before moving in a group later in the day to carry out the attack.
Shamim was hacked and beaten to death in the presence of police, according to local accounts.
Late on Monday night, Shamim’s brother, retired schoolteacher Fazlur Rahman, filed a case with Daulatpur police station, naming several individuals and accusing activists linked to Jamaat-e-Islami and Khelafat Majlis.
The main accused is identified as local Jamaat leader Muhammad Khaza Ahmed, 38, a former president of Kushtia district Chhatra Shibir and a current member of the Daulatpur upazila Jamaat committee.
Others named include Jamaat activist Rajib Mistry, Khelafat Majlis upazila president Asaduzzaman Asad, and a madrasa teacher named Safi from the Abeder Ghat area.
A further 180 to 200 unidentified individuals have also been named in the case.
