Moulana Nurul Islam Farooqi, noted Islamic thinker and presenter of a documentary titled 'Hajj Kafela,' based on historic sites of Islam, on Channel i Television, was killed in the capital on Wednesday evening.

Police recovered his body from his East Rajabazar flat at night.

The body was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for postmortem.

Police said Farooqi used to live at his 174 East Rajabazar flat with his family. His slaughtered body was recovered at about 9pm from the flat.

There was a deep cut mark on his throat. Police suspect miscreants killed him by cutting his throat with a sharp knife.

A boy who was an inmate of the flat said that the killers had entered the flat after the evening and they told Farooqi that they wanted to talk to him about going to Saudi Arabia this year to perform holy Hajj. At one stage of talks, the killers suddenly asked Farooqi to provide them with Tk 50 lakh putting a large knife on his throat. When Farooqi expressed his inability to pay the extortion, the killers instantly killed him cutting his throat with the knife.

Later, they left the flat without any resistance.

Farooqi was also the presenter of Channel i Television's another Islamic programme 'Shantir Pothey.'

Besides, he was the presidium member of Ahle Sunnat Wa Al Jamaat. He also had a Hajj agency to send pilgrims to Saudi Arabia every year.

Farooqi was always vocal against 'Peer' system of Islam.
 
Receiving information, State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal visited Farooqi's East Rajabazar residence at about 10.15pm. East Rajabazar area falls under Awami League lawmaker Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal's constituency.

At that time, RAB additional director general Col Ziaul Ahsan, senior police officials including Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station officer-in charge Abdul Momin were present.

After visiting the spot, Kamal told journalists that the "incident was undesirable." The mystery behind it would be unearthed. "We'll find out those who committed the murder," he said.

As news of Farooqi's murder was spread, several hundreds of his followers thronged in front of his residence and chanted slogans demanding the arrest of the killers as early as possible.

It is learnt that a team of CID went to the spot at late night and entered the residence.

Meanwhile, Ahle Sunnat Waal Jamaat has announced a demonstration in front of the Jatiya Press Club at 2pm on Thursday demanding the arrest of the killers and fair trial into the murder.

It also called a daylong hartal in Dhaka on Sunday.

Our Chittagong Correspondent reports: Members of the Ahle Sunnat Wa Al Jamaat locked in sporadic clashes with police in the port city on Wednesday night protesting the murder of Farooqi.

They also demanded immediate arrest of the killers and bring them before justice.

ZA