Panchagarh: Miscreants killed the head of a monastery by slitting his throat at Debiganj upazila in Panchagarh, 494 km (308 miles) north of the capital Dhaka, on Sunday morning.

The deceased is the head of Sri Sri Santo Gourio monastery Jaggeshwar Roy, believed to be in his fifties.

The miscreants also shot a saint, Gopal Chandra Roy, who is at his thirties, while left another man, named Nitai Pada Das, around 40, injured in a crude bomb attack.

Local people said a group of miscreants, riding on a motorcycle, attacked the monastery at about 7:00am.

Some of the attacks have been claimed by Islamic State, which has also said it is behind the killings of a Japanese citizen, an Italian aid worker and a policeman, reports Reuters.

The injured, Gopal Chandra Roy, was taken to Rangpur Medical College Hospital. 

Police and local people said three saints were praying at Sri Sri Sant Gourio monastery when the miscreants hurled crude bomb in front of the monastery. The saints came out of the monastery after hearing the sound of the bombs and the miscreants assaulted them with fire arms and sharp weapons.

Witnesses said the miscreants slit the throat of Joggeshwar and opened fire at Gopal Chandra as he tried to flee from the spot.

The miscreants also hurled crude bomb at Nitai, who was working at the field near the monastery.

The superintendent of police Gias Uddin Ahammed said the attack took place even after security measures were taken for all the Hindu temples across the district.

‘We suspect that they might be members of the banned Islamist militant group Jamaatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh (JMB),’ police official Humayun Kabir told Reuters.

The motive for the killing was probably to create an unstable situation in the country and ultimately establish a caliphate, Kabir, the deputy director general of police in the area, added.

The body of the monastery head was taken to Debiganj police station.

Local lawmaker, deputy commissioner, and superintendent of police visited the spot immediately after the incident.