Assailants entered Kalabagan house posing as couriers

Assailants who hacked to death two men including a USAID officer at Dhaka’s Kalabagan had entered the apartment posing as couriers, witnesses have said.

Liton Haider Kamal Talukder and Golam Mujtaba Dhrubabdnews24.com
Published : 25 April 2016, 04:27 PM
Updated : 26 April 2016, 11:43 AM

According to them, the killers left the building chanting ‘Allahu Akbar (Allah is great) after committing the murders on Monday afternoon.

USAID programme officer Xulhaz Mannan, better known for his gay-rights activism, and theatre activist Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy died on the spot when unknown youths swooped down on them at the former’s apartment around 5pm.

The killing took place barely two days after a Rajshahi University teacher was murdered in a similar fashion near his home.

Parvez Molla, a security guard who was injured during the attack and is undergoing treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, told reporters, “Three persons came to the building and said there was a parcel for Mr Xulhaz.”

Molla followed them up to Xulhaz’s apartment on the first floor, where he lived with his mother.

He said, “Xulhaz sir opened the door when they knocked. He tried to shut the door once he saw them. But they tried to enter by force.

“I told them to go since sir didn’t let them in. Suddenly, they attacked me.”

Molla said as he fell down, the youths barged into the apartment and started hacking Xulhaz and Tonoy.

He said the assailants also had firearms with them.

“I cried out. Sir also cried out. I heard gunshots on the ground floor,” he added.

A resident of the building told bdnews24.com that no-one had opened door in panic during the incident.

“Nobody could muster the courage to step forward even after hearing them cry out.”

Another resident said he had entered Xulhaz’s flat after the attack and seen a man lying in the bedroom and another near the door.

A woman said she saw five to seven youths leaving the house. “Some others chased them. They fled shouting ‘Allahu Akbar through the Tentultala playground,” she said.

She said she saw at least four of the youths brandishing firearms. “They fired several rounds after coming out of the building.”

Another witness said the attackers were carrying laptop bags.

Police said the attackers in previous such incidents carried bags.

A Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) official told bdnews24.com on condition of anonymity that the assailants were five in number.