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Published : 16 Apr 2026, 12:30 AM
Police have said a murder case has been filed against four named suspects and around 200 unidentified people over the killing of ‘“shrine” leader Shamim Reza, also known as Jahangir, in Kushtia’s Daulatpur Upazila
According to the case statement, more than 200 people led by activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and Khelafat Majlis attacked the Sufi shrine on the day of the incident.
However, no arrests have been made so far, police said.
The Daulatpur Jamaat unit held a media briefing on Wednesday to protest the inclusion of their party members' names in the case.
Daulatpur Police chief Arifur Rahman said a significant police presence has been maintained at the shrine since the incident.
The primary suspects named in the case are Daulatpur Upazila Jamaat member Muhammad Khaja Ahmed, 38, local Jamaat activist Rajib Mistri, 45; Daulatpur Upazila Khelafat Majlis President Mohammad Asaduzzaman, 35, and madrasa teacher Mohammad Shihab, 45.
The rest remain unidentified.
Officer Arifur said the victim’s elder brother Fazlur Rahman filed the case on Monday night, bringing allegations of attack, vandalism, arson and looting.
“No one has been detained yet. Drives are under way to arrest the suspect,” he said, adding that police remain deployed at the scene.
A Kushtia district detective branch official said the identities of several admins of Facebook pages and IDs -- which circulated old videos as new to incite the attack -- have been identified.
Police have also identified individuals involved in the attack and vandalism by reviewing CCTV footage and viral videos, the official added.
At the press conference held at 4:30pm at the district Jamaat office in Courtpara, Kushtia town, Daulatpur Upazila Jamaat Ameer Belal Uddin read out a written statement protesting the case.
He alleged that Jamaat-nominated UP chairman candidate and former Kushtia district Shibir president Mohammad Khaja Ahmed and other party leaders were “deliberately” made accused.
Describing the allegations as false, fabricated and part of a planned conspiracy, Belal Uddin said, “Jamaat or any of its leaders and activists have no involvement whatsoever in the tragic incident in Philipnagor.
“Rather, a vested quarter, driven by political vengeance and envious of Mohammad Khaja Ahmed’s popularity, has made him the prime accused. BNP activists were present at the scene at the time, yet they were not named in the case.”
He demanded a fair and impartial investigation to identify the real culprits.
Attempts to contact Khelafat Majlis leader Asaduzzaman for comment were unsuccessful.
The attack took place on Saturday afternoon at the shrine known as “Shamim Baba’s Darbar Sharif” in southwest Philipnagor Union, following allegations of blasphemy.
Hundreds of people carried out vandalism and arson during the attack, and Shamim -- a "Pir" or spiritual leader -- was beaten and hacked to death.
Three of his followers -- Mohon Ali, Jamirun and Jubayer -- were seriously injured and are undergoing treatment.
Tension has prevailed in the area since the incident.
The body was handed over to the family after a post-mortem examination on Sunday afternoon and later buried at the local southwest Philipnagor graveyard after Asr prayers under the supervision of law-enforcing agencies.
There were allegations that the victim’s family initially refrained from filing a case due to fear of the attackers.
Later, his elder brother filed the case on Monday night.
