DHAKA: Suspected militants in Bangladesh hacked an elderly Hindu priest todeath on Tuesday, in what police suspected was the latest in a spateof attacks byextremists on minority groups in the majority-Muslim country.
Three attackers riding on a motorcycle killed Ananta GopalGanguly, 70, when he was on his way to the temple he served inJhenaidah district, about 100 miles (161 km) west of Dhaka, thecapital, police said. The attack bore the hallmarks of previous killings bymilitants.
The government banned pillion ridingon Monday a day after the wife ofa prominent anti-terror security official was shot dead by threesuspected militants on a motorbike.
A 60-year-old Christian grocer was also hacked to death onSunday in an attack claimed by Islamic State.Bangladesh has not seen the sort of violenceover the past decade or so.
But since February last year, militants in Bangladesh havekilled more than 30 people, including members of religiousminorities, liberal bloggers and academics.
Islamic State and Al-Qaeda have claimed responsibility formost of the killings but the government denies that either grouphas a presence in Bangladesh.
The government has launched a crackdown on militant groupswho want to impose strict Islamic law in Bangladesh.
Hindus make up about 9 percent of Bangladesh´s 160 millionpopulation of mainly Sunni Muslims.