Saturday, February 15

Bangladeshi muezzin shot dead in Saudi Arabia


 

 

 

A Bangladeshi, who had been working as a muezzin at a mosque near Riyadh, was shot dead on Sunday by a Saudi man for failing to make prayer call (Azan) on time.

Mohammed Rafiq Tajul Islam, 32, was a resident of Banchharampur upazila in Brahmanbaria, Mizanur Rahman, second secretary (labour wing) at Bangladesh embassy in Riyadh, told The Daily Star this afternoon.

The incident took place at 3:30pm during Asr prayers in a mosque in Ortawwiyah in the Majmaah district, 30km from the Riyadh city centre, he added.

Tajul Islam was shot dead by his employer’s nephew who got infuriated by the delay in making the prayer call, said Mizanur.
The police arrested the murder accused the same day. According to the lawmen, the perpetrator is a psychiatric patient at a nearby hospital. However, investigations are continuing.

The body has been kept at a hospital Majmaah district, the embassy official said. Mohamed Sarwar Alam, labour counsellor at the embassy, said they had informed his family about the tragedy and their legal team is sorting out the paperwork of the deceased.

According to Arab News, when police arrived at the scene, in response to a call from a citizen, they found Tajul in a pool of blood.

An Indian worker also sustained two gunshot wounds during the incident. He is undergoing treatment at King Khaled Hospital in Majmaah. The police have not released his name and said he is out of danger.