Nazmul Hossain, Thakurgaon Correspondent:
Police recovered the body of a mosque imam named Khairul Islam in Ranishankail, Thakurgaon on Saturday. The incident took place in Bamanbari area of Nekmrod union of the upazila.
Khairul Islam, 58, is the son of the late Ashiruddin of Bhabandpur village in Nekmrod union. Khairul Islam was the imam of a mosque in Nekmrod Bazar. He also worked as a night watchman at a husking mill. He is the father of two daughters and one son.
It is learnt that Khairul Islam Nekmrod had been working as a night watchman at Shamsuddin's Hasking Mill in Durlabhpur village for two years. He had come to the mill as usual on Thursday night. On Saturday morning, his body was found in a field about 500 metres west of the mill.
A local farmer first saw the body, with its hands and feet tied, eating his corn in a cornfield and screamed. He later informed the people around him.
Police arrived at the scene after receiving the information and conducted a preliminary examination of the body. Meanwhile, although no valuables were lost at the mill, the lock on the main gate of the mill was found broken, said Shamsuddin, the mill owner.
Golam Rabbani, the nephew of the deceased, said that some drug addicts used to hang out at the mill and chat about drugs there regularly. If he stopped them, the drug addicts would often threaten Khairul.
Police found the uncle dead with his hands tied in a cornfield near the Husking Mill this morning. He said there were various injury marks on his body.
Locals suspect that a group of terrorists came here to rob. However, the night watchman recognized the group of robbers and killed them. Locals have demanded a proper investigation into the incident.
Arshedul Haque, officer-in-charge (OC) of Ranishankail Police Station, said, "Local people found the body in a cornfield on Saturday morning and informed the police station. Police recovered the body from there and brought it to the police station."
He said, "Various injuries were found on the body of the deceased. Members of various forces including the CID are conducting various investigations. The body has been sent to the Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy. The exact cause of death will be known after the autopsy."
