Police have come under criticism for failing to intervene to stop the mob that beat Pir Abdur Rahman, also known as Shamim Reza or Jahangir, to death during an attack on a shrine in Daulatpur, Kushtia, despite being present at the scene.
Senior law enforcement officials faced questions on the matter when they visited the site on Sunday.
Kushtia Superintendent of Police Mohammad Jasim Uddin said, “Due to the small number of personnel compared to the crowd, the situation went completely out of control. In that situation, it was absolutely impossible for police to resist hundreds of enraged people.”
He also assured that the incident is being investigated seriously and necessary legal action will be taken.
Additional DIG of Khulna Range Sheikh Zainuddin also visited the scene. He promised proper justice for the killing, saying, “The murder that has taken place here is absolutely unacceptable.”
On Saturday afternoon, a mob attacked the shrine in the Darogar Mor area of Philipnagar Union in the upazila, reducing it to rubble.
Using an old video from 2023 as a pretext, they accused Pir Abdur Rahman of blasphemy and beat and hacked him to death. Three of his followers – Zubayer, Mohan Ali, and Jamirun Nessa – were injured and received treatment at a local hospital.
Amid intense criticism over the incident, members of police, RAB, BGB, and the army, along with officials from the upazila and district administrations and local Member of Parliament Reza Ahmed Bachchu Molla, also visited the scene.
The MP said, “Even if someone commits a wrong, one cannot take the law into one’s own hands. If someone does wrong, there are laws and courts. There will be justice. What has happened is wrong. It is absolutely unacceptable. Those involved will be brought under the law through an impartial investigation. No leniency will be shown.”
Kushtia DC Touhid Bin Hasan said, “The situation in the area is calm. Apart from BGB patrols, members of law enforcement agencies are deployed.”
Police have also been stationed at the village home of Lalon singer Shafi Mondol in Hosenabad, Daulatpur. Police have also been deployed at the mazar of Baul saint Fakir Lalon Shah in Cheuria in the district.
The autopsy of Pir Abdur Rahman’s body was conducted at Kushtia General Hospital on Sunday afternoon.
Hospital Residential Medical Officer Hossain Imam said there were 15 to 18 cut marks on the face alone. Deep injury marks were also seen on the head, neck, and back.
“He died due to excessive bleeding from multiple injuries,” he said.
Police took the body after the autopsy.
District Police spokesperson Additional Superintendent of Police Faisal Mahmud said Pir Abdur Rahman was buried in the Philipnagar village graveyard under law enforcement supervision.
Daulatpur Police Station OC Arifur Rahman said, “No written complaint has been received from the family regarding this incident. No arrests have been made, but police are deployed in the area.”
The deceased’s elder brother, Fazlur Rahman, said the family will decide on legal action after the burial.
Fazlur Rahman, a retired assistant teacher of a local government primary school and elder brother of Pir Abdur Rahman, said, “On Saturday afternoon, after prayers, I was eating at home. Then I heard people shouting. When I went outside, I saw people vandalising the shrine extensively.”
“At that time, my brother was dragged from his room on the second floor, brought downstairs, and beaten and hacked indiscriminately. Later, my brother was taken to hospital in a police vehicle, where he died,” he said.
Several eyewitnesses said that a short distance from the shrine, in the Abed’s Ghat area, announcements were made to gather over a hundred people. Around 2:30pm, they marched chanting slogans, attacked the shrine, and set it on fire.
Police were present at the time of the incident.
Seventy to 80 people armed with rods and sticks began vandalising the shrine’s gate. At one point, they went to the second floor in front of the pir’s room. They broke down the door, entered the room, and beat him as they brought him downstairs.
At that time, Pir Abdur Rahman was pleading with folded hands not to beat him. But he was indiscriminately beaten on the head and face with rods and sticks.
Most of the attackers were between 15 and 30 years old.
