IS militants kill Hindu tailor in Bangladesh

IS militants kill Hindu tailor in Bangladesh

Dhaka, April 30

A Hindu tailor was hacked to death by machete-wielding Islamic State militants at his shop today in central Bangladesh, the latest in a series of attacks on intellectuals, activists and minorities by the dreaded terror group in the Muslim-majority country.

Nikhil Chandra Joarder, 50, a resident of Dubail village under Gopalpur upazila of the Tangail district, was hacked to death this afternoon. "Three assailants entered Nikhil's house-cum shop and slit his throat," Gopalpur police station officer-in-charge Mohammad Abdul Jalil said.

He said the assailants used a motorcycle and fled the scene immediately after the murder. They left a black bag at the spot, which contained three to four bomb-like objects. Asked about the possible motive behind the attack, Jalil told reporters that a case was filed against Nikhil in 2012 for making a "derogatory" comment about the Prophet of Islam.

He had been arrested for allegedly making the comments and then released. "It can be the reason for the murder," The Daily Star quoted Jalil as saying.

Meanwhile, US-based private SITE Intelligence Group said the IS claimed the killing. ISIS' Amaq Agency reported the group's responsibility for killing the Hindu tailor for blasphemy in Tangail district in Bangladesh, it said in a tweet. The local media reports said Nikhil served three-month jail in 2012 when he was arrested for the "derogatory comments". — PTI