Japanese citizen Kunio Hoshi, who was gunned down on Saturday allegedly by Islamic State militants, had converted to Islam three months ago, locals claim. Several people and an Imam of a mosque in the locality in Munshiparha where Kunio lived said this to greenwatchbd.com.To back the claim, they showed a photograph of the 66-year old in a scalp cap, usually worn when offering prayers at a mosque.
Munshiparha mosque’s Imam Siddik Hossain told bdnews24.com: “I converted him to Islam during the last Ramadan in presence of a group of local Muslims. He had offered Jumma prayers at this mosque several times since then.”Kunio was shot dead by masked assailants riding motorcycles when he was going to his grass farm at Kaunia.The killing was similar to that of Italian aid worker Cesare Tavella in Dhaka on Sep 28.IS has reportedly claimed responsibility for both killings, but the government has ruled out the presence of the radical group in Bangladesh.
Munshiparha resident Riazul Islam Rintu told greenwatchbd.com that Kunio converted to Islam on the 27th day of Ramadan this year and took the name ‘Golam Kibria’.“I was present when he converted,” he said, adding, “He offered Jumma prayers at this mosque near his house and attended the Eid-ul-Azha prayers at the Munshiparha Eidgah.”Another resident of the area, Mizanur Rahman Ripu, echoed Rintu. “I’ve seen him offer Jumma prayers several times.”Kunio was the tenant of one Zakaria Bala, whose two brothers live in Japan.Bala said the Japanese man lived alone as a tenant in his house and worked on the grass farm at Alutari village at Kaunia.
Locals at Alutari remember Kunio as a soft-spoken, cheerful man.People living near his farm say he used to speak with them in Bangla, though he had little command over the language.
