Sohan left home two years ago

The family of Saiful Islam, also known as Abu Muktadim, who was detained by police as a suspect in the Eid Day's attack in Solakia, left their village home two years ago after police sued his father in an arson case, police and locals said.

Saiful, 19, is locally known as Sohan and was a student of a madrasa some 30km from their home in Dakkhin Debipur village under Ghoraghat upazila in Dinajpur.

He rarely visited his home although locals saw him in the area about a month ago.

His father Abdul Hye is a radio-TV mechanic, according to police and neighbours.

Sohan is eldest among three siblings.

Nuruzzaman Chowdhury, officer-in-charge of Ghoraghat Police Station, said Abdul Hye was an “active activist” of Jamaat and they filed an arson case against him in January 2014.

“After that he left the village with his family,” he said.

Villagers said they did not know their whereabouts, but one source in the local Rab said the family was in Dhaka. 

On Friday, Sohan's home was found lock. All its tenants who had rented the house left after learning about the attack.

Before going to Bijul Darul Huda Kamil Madrasa in Birampur several years ago, he started his education in a local madrasa, said locals.

The Kamil madrasa is now closed for Eid and the few students who are still there do not know Sohan by name.

“After his admission there, he seldom came home,” said Rakibul Islam, a neighbour.

However, those who know him closely in the village said they could not believe he could be a part of such a crime.

“It's really unbelievable and unacceptable to us. We never expected anything like that from him,” said Abdul Mannan, chairman of Singra Union.

Following the attack, Rab members detained his cousin, Enamul Haque, but released him after interrogation.