Our Correspondent, Ctg
News text:
A Buddhist monk was slain in the early hours of yesterday at a temple in
Hingala village under Raozan thana in the district.
The victim, Ganojyoti Mohasthobir, 52, was in charge of the Hoara Puyan
Buddha Bihar -- a temple-cum-orphanage.
As many as 22 armed men, led by local gangster Azizul Haq, forced their
way into the monastery, tied and blindfolded the 'sebok' (religious servant)
and killed the monk at around 12.30am, police said. The assailants hit him
on the head and stabbed him.
The assailants entered the monastery by climbing the compound wall.
Although the motive behind the killing could not be known immediately, the
extortion and land-grabbing might have led to the murder, the sources said.
Some foreign countries, including the Netherlands and Japan finance the
orphanage home to around 100 orphans. The Japanese ambassador was scheduled
to visit the temple on Friday next.
Dulal Barua was renamed Ganojyoti Mohasthobir after attaining the position
of cleric and joined the monastery sixteen years ago.
The brutal killing of the monk whipped up a wave of condemnation among the
people of all communities.
A mourning procession carrying the dead body paraded down the city streets
and ended at the Buddhist temple for funeral yesterday evening.
The procession was joined by some monks and Buddhists who shouted slogans,
condemning the killing and demanding punishment to the killers.
A case was filed in this connection. But none was arrested till filing of
the report yesterday evening.