The masterminds behind the attack and killing of Abdur Rahman, also known as Shamim al-Jahangir -- a pir based in Kushtia -- have been identified, sources in law enforcement agencies have said.

The attack was incited through the deliberate circulation of videos via certain Facebook pages and accounts within a targeted area, they said.

Shamim was beaten and hacked to death by a mob at his darbar in Philipnagar, Daulatpur upazila, yesterday over allegations of hurting religious sentiments. The darbar was vandalised and set on fire during the attack around 2:30pm.

No case has yet been lodged in connection with the killing, and no one has been detained, although many individuals were clearly visible in videos of the attack.

“A shadow investigation is underway, and we have gathered several pieces of information,” Kushtia Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Ops) Faisal Mahmud told The Daily Star.

Law enforcement members said a group of 70-80 people were initially involved in the attack, including some elderly individuals, while seven to eight people directly carried out the acts of vandalism. In a second wave, several hundred students from a local madrasa joined.

Followers of Shamim, present during the incident and speaking on condition of anonymity, said that while the attack was carried out on allegations of insulting religion, looting could have been another motive. They claimed valuables were taken and the rest set on fire. The pir’s gold crown, flute and anklets are currently missing.

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Photo: Anis Mondol

Fazlur Rahman, the victim’s elder brother, said, “If he had done anything wrong, he could have been tried under the law. But no human being should be killed like this. I want justice.”

He later said that immediately after the attack, he rushed to the scene and found his brother lying unconscious near the staircase of the two-storey darbar building. Police were present at the time, and with their assistance, Shamim was initially taken to Mirpur Health Complex.

Dr Hossain Imam, resident physician at the 250-bed Kushtia General Hospital, said the victim sustained major injuries to the head, neck and back, along with wounds across the body, and died due to excessive bleeding.

Sheikh Joynuddin, additional DIG of Khulna Range, visited the scene around 11:00am today. Speaking to journalists, he said, “Insulting religion is unacceptable under any circumstances. The country’s existing laws provide for action against such acts. If law enforcement agencies had been informed, instead of people taking the law into their own hands, legal action could have been taken. At the same time, the attack and the killing were wrong.”

Shamim's janaza was held after Asr prayers at the Poshchim-Dokkhin Philipnagar Eidgah ground. He was later buried at a nearby graveyard.

Fazlur Rahman told The Daily Star that the family would decide on filing a case after discussions, adding that no final decision had yet been taken.

Kushtia Superintendent of Police Jasim Uddin said around 7:00pm that family members of the deceased were expected to visit the police station in the evening, after which the process of filing a case would begin.

Asked about the circulation of videos on Facebook that allegedly created the ground for the attack, the SP said it was too early to comment and urged patience, noting that such matters require extensive analysis and verification.