Two days after the murder of a Rajshahi University teacher in the same style, two people, including a USAID staff, were hacked to death at an apartment in the capital’s Kalabagan area on Monday evening.

 

The criminals also hacked a guard of the building, leaving him injured.

 

The deceased were identified as USAID staff Xulhaz Mannan, 35, and his friend Tanoy, 36, an activist of theater group Loknatya Dal, said Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Maruf Hossain Sarder.

 

Xulhaz was also an ex-protocol officer of former US ambassador Dan W Mozena.

 

Quoting injured security guard Parvez Mollah, Maruf said a group of 6-7 youths went to a seven-storey building at lane 35, Lake Circus in the evening in the name of delivering a parcel of a courier service.

 

They went up to the first floor of the house and knocked the door. As the door was opened, the criminals started hacking indiscriminately leaving the two dead on the spot.

 

The criminals also stabbed Parvez Mollah as he had been there in front of the apartment, leaving him injured.  He was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

 

Meanwhile, Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, MP, visited the spot.

 

Talking to reporters, he said a vested quarter is carrying out killings in recent days to destabilise the country.

 

Besides, the United States has urged the government of Bangladesh in the strongest terms to arrest the criminals behind the murders of Xulhaz Mannan and his friend.

 

“We abhor this senseless act of violence and urge the Government of Bangladesh in the strongest terms to apprehend the criminals behind these murders,” said US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Bernicat in a statement.

 

The US Ambassador said she is “devastated” by the brutal murder of Xulhaz Mannan and another young Bangladeshi.

 

Earlier on Saturday, Prof Rezaul Karim, 58, of the RU English Department, was hacked to death by miscreants in Rajshahi city's Shalbagan area.