Source: Daily Star News published on Feb 2nd, 2022, Sangbad Protidin dated January 31st, 2022 and HRCBM’s investigation.
Bangladesh again witnessing uptick in violence against minorities in the country. HRCBM is getting reports about increase violence against minorities throughout the country. In a recent attack, a Buddhist monk is slathered in the Khagrachari district of Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT). On 1st February, police recovered the body of a Buddhist monk from a temple near Khagrachhari’s Gukrachhari Paimong Member Para village.
The deceased, Bishuddha Mahathero, 52, was murdered in Ghukrachhari Dharmasukh Bouddha Vihar, said law enforcers. After leaving his family about 30 years ago, Bishuddha devoted himself to Buddhism.
He had no enmity with anyone, said devotees at the temple.
Aung Kroy Marma, a villager, found the monk dead around 7:30am when she went to the temple to serve him food.
“The door of the temple was open. I found our beloved monk lying dead in a pool of blood,” she said.
Police later recovered the body and sent it to Khagrachhari Sadar Hospital for an autopsy.
They could not ascertain the motive behind the killing immediately.
Motilal Marma, a resident of Gukrachhari Paimong Member Para village, said, “Bishuddha Mahathero had been the chief monk of our temple for about seven years. He used to practice religious rituals, offer prayers and meditate in the temple.”
He said panic has spread among the villagers after the murder of the monk.
Mohammad Abdul Aziz, superintendent of police in Khagrachhari, said they were investigating the murder keeping all possible motives in mind.
“There were injury marks on his head. We also found two cabinets in the temple open,” the SP said.
