On 29 August 2002, a groups of terrorists entered into the house of a Christian family and injured severely four inmates of the house in the Gopalpur village under Bonpara Mission in Boraigram upazila, Natore district. The four injured were :

1.         Mr. Joseph Gomes (75). His left leg was injured severely by dao (local knife).

2.         Mrs. Antony D'Cruze (70), wife of Mr. Joseph Gomes. Her backbone was chopped off by a Chinese ax and was beaten too..

3.         Ms. Maria Gomes (35), d/o Joseph and Antony. She was seriously injured on her right arm with many chopping marks and was beaten.

4.         Mr. Louis Gomes (25) s/o. Mr. Bernard Gomes and grandson of Mr. Joseph Gomes. He was seriously injured in his eyes, forehead. His right eye has been blinded from the injury.

The above four persons were taken to the Rajshahi Medical Hospital but the terrorists threatened the doctors and pressured them not to give any treatment to the injured. So the victims were sent off from the hospital when they were taken to the Dingaduba Mission Hospital privately. During the attack these four were at home and at about 2 am the attackers went to the house and shouted and called Joseph saying that some people were robbing the fish from their pond. So Joseph got up and opened the door when the armed miscreants entered the house, began to beat Joseph arbitrarily. Joseph's wife Antony heard the people and the shouting of her husband and got up. Then she was attacked by the attackers and chopped off. At this time Maria and Louis also got up and went to the spot to rescue Joseph and Antony. But in vain, they also were attacked and severely injured. The armed terrorists attempted to enter the house of Joseph's eldest son but by that time some neighbours arrived on the spot. But while leaving the house of Joseph, the armedmen acarried away one trunk (big box) with full of clothes and other valuables. There were also the land documents, bank books, money, etc. in the trunk. In fact some days ago before the attack, some Muslims came to Joseph and forced to sign some false land documents but Joseph refused to do that.  

After the attack, one of the neighbours took the injured people to the Rajshahi Medical Hospital and there were none to inform the police. But one of the main attackers went to the police station in the morning of 29 August and filed a case of illegal occupation of his land by Mr. Joseph (the disputed land which the Muslim wanted to occupy). Then when Joseph's eldest son, working at the US Embassy, went home and informed the police, for unknown reason the police remained silent. The attackers did not stop here. They went to the hospital and threatened the doctors and prohibit them to treat the victims and forced them to release them without treating them. Then the doctors resealed the victims when they went to the Dingaduba Mission Hospital and were being treated.
Motto of the attack : Joseph and other members of the family and the victims said that since many years a group of Muslims were trying to occupy their land by force and the main target of the attack was to kill all the people and grab the land. With that intention they tried to possess the land documents. The local administration and the police did not help the victims at all rather apparently seems that the armed miscreants were supported by them. On the other hand the man who helped the victims to be taken to the hospital, was arrested by the police. (Source : Sonali Barta, 31 Aug. 2002 and information from the relatives).

Further Attack in Natore  on Good Friday  
Another attack was in Natore. This time the attack was in Bonpara Mission on Good Friday, 18 April, 2003. At this attack at least 10 people were injured and three of them seriously. They were : (1) Sumon Costa s/o. Francis Costa, (2) Anil Biswas s/o. Ambrose Biswas, (3) Pradip Gomes s/o. Alfred Gomes from Bonpara village; (4) Robi Cruze (38) s/o Jimy Cruze from Haroa; (5) Sumon Corraya s/o. Alexander Corraya from Kalikapur, Boraigram, Natore; (6) Subhash Purification (40) and his wife (7) Sabita Rozario (32); (8) Sumita Rozario wife of Abraham Purification, (9) Bashanti Gomes wife of Suprian Gomes from Baimainpara village; (10) Laphon Rozario (70) s/o. late Antony Rozario from Bahimali village, (11) Francis Ajoy Rebeiro (38) s/o. Philip Rebeiro from village Haroa; (12) Philip Rebeiro and his son (13) Biplob Rozario (25); (14) Shyamol Rozario (20) s/o. Probhat Rozario from Haroa. Subash and Sabita were beaten by strong lathi (stick) on their back, head arms and legs and were seriously injured. Bother were admitted to the Bonpara clinic for treatment. The attackers used iron rods to beat the victims. Shyamol was severely beaten by the iron rod and he was critically injured when he was taken to Rajshahi Medical Hospital.
The attackers were : (1) Soleman, (2) Akul, (3) Alamgir all sons of Box Pramanic; (4) Yakot Pramanic s/o. Afaz Pramanic; (5) Siddique Pramanic; (6) Bokkar Pramanic, both sons of Boshir Pramanic; (7) Marfat Pramanic s/o. Ayez Uddin Pramanic; (8) Ator Pramanic; (9) Rezaul Pramanic, both sons of Gofur Pramanic; (10) Azahar s/o. Gul Mohammad; (11) Joynal s/o. Gokul Pramanic; (12) Idrish s/o. Yasin Pramanic; (13) Bablu Pramanic s/o. Deen Mohammad, all from Haroa (Abdal Para), Boraigram and Natore, and many others. They carried lethal weapons such as long wooden staff, Hashua (big knife to cut trees or hard materials), iron rod, lance, etc. They beat the Christians arbitrarily whoever were found on their way to the Church for Good Friday celebration in the afternoon. The whole incident was so sudden for the Christians that the people of the villages under Bonpara mission were in panic. Frs. Jiacomelli Dino, PIME and Bernard ........were present during the incident. They are the Parish Priest and the assistant Parish Priest of Bonpara Mission.

The report on the incident was published in almost all the national dailies on 19 April, 2003

 Fact : Md. Soleman, the No. 1 accused, a small trader who was given the money and materials by Fathers of the Mission for the small trade to maintain his poor family. He had a shop with chanachur (mixture of dry food), nuts etc. and used to sit in front of the dispensary near the Mission gate. The Fathers told him not to sit before the gate on the days when there is any religious ceremony because the  children buy food staff and dirty the church. So the Fathers requested him not to sell his goods during the Holy Week (from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday) when everyday there was some religious function in the Church. But on Good Friday, (April 18, 2003) at about 9 a m. before the live Way of the Cross was about to start Fr. Dino told Somelan to leave the campus and not to come till Monday. But Soleman was stubborn and did not leave the place. Again Fr. Dino came back after an hour and told Soleman to leave the place. But still Soleman did not want to leave the campus. Fr. Dino pushed Soleman and said to leave the place soon. During that moment Fr. Dino pushed also the basket Soleman was carrying the staff and some of the staff fell down on the ground. Soleman kicked the basket and threw all the goods on the ground and began to shout and call the nearby rickshaw-pullers to come for his help. He shouted and said, 'Shaheb has threw all my goods on the ground and we have to give him a lesson. He brought about 20/25 Mulsim people from the main road and attacked the standing Christian youths who were observing the whole fact. They went to the Church for attending the celebration. Seeing the crowed Fr. Dino closed the main gate of the Church campus. The Christian youths ran inside the Church and the attacker Muslims went out to gather more people from nearby villages.
People came to attend the Way of the Cross and when the ceremony was over at around 11 am. and the people were about to leave for their homes, many people with lethal weapons attacked arbitrarily the Christians in their way home. Even some of then when they reached home, they were attacked and beaten up, houses were ransacked and goods looted by the attacker mobs. Sumon Costa (22) was hit first near the Church gate when the Youths, coming out of the Church also responded the attack. At first the Christians were united and prohibited the attack of the Muslim mob and while the Muslims left the place for collecting more people, they began to go home thinking that the attackers have left. But then all the Christians were attacked on their way. They Muslims spread the rumor that Saheb had beaten him and so revenge should be taken to give him a lesson.
After the incident Philip Rebeiro on 19 April 2003 (Case No. 19, Dated 19-4-03 under Cr. P.C. Sections 143/448/323/325/379/114.). Probhat Rozario, father of ........Rozario filed a case on 21 April with the Haroa Police Station and on the Fathers in the name of the Parish Council filed a case on 22 April, 2003. But in the same way the opponents/the attackers also filed a case against the whole mission people including the priests.
On 29 April there was a mitigation meeting organised by the local administration and police authorities to settle the matter peacefully. The whole Muslim local administration under the order of the Home Minister forced the Christian Community to solve the problem. More than 700 people attended the meeting most of whom where Muslims including BNP influential leaders. The decisions taken at that meeting were as follows :

1.         As the priests are to serve the people, they should not commit any mistake but help the people. The parish priest on the day of the incident threw some goods from the basket of Soleman and so the priest has to say sorry to all the people. But as the Parish priest was not present at that meeting, the assistant parish priest Fr. Bernard Rozario had to say sorry in front of all the people.

2.         As Fr. Dino had spoilt some of the goods of Soleman, the parish committee will pay Tk. 2000 as compensation. At this time Soleman denied that he got the basket as well as the capital for his shop were given by Fr. Dino for maintaining his poor family.

3.         Tk. 15,000/- would be given for the treatment of the injured people (including the man whose one leg was broken into two places and now being treated in Dhaka).

4.         31 Criminal were identified who committed the crime on April 18 in Bonpara Mission. They were make to sign a bond that if any such things happen in future, they will be responsible and be punished.

 The meeting on April 29 was organised by few Christian people (actively involved with BNP politics) in collaboration with the local BNP leaders. Most of the Christians were unhappy with the decision taken at the meeting but as the Christians were at the back, the whole parish people had to accept all the decisions. The decision to say sorry by the parish priest was very degrading and the decision for not punishing anyone for the incident, was also a matter of worry for the whole Christian community.

 
Rosaline Costa
Human Rights Coordinator
Hotline Human Rights Bangladesh
May 3, 2003

Note: Ms. Rosaline Costa is a member of HRCBM and an Ex president of HRCBM's Dhaka Chapter, Bangladesh.