| Christians Increasingly Vulnerable in Solepur |
 Solepur Catholic parish is a catholic parish with more than 3000 catholic’s blessed with the rich historical St. Joseph's Church established back in year 1850. As law and order breaks down in that area Catholic Christians come under attack many times. May of them were bound to leave the area. On April 30th a group of Muslim dacoits broke into the house of local catholic Ms.Philimona Gomes of Boraihase village under Solepur Catholic parish. Ms.Philimona Gomes said that a group of 9-10 people forcefully broke into her house at late night around 2 o clock. The dacoits were heavily armed, they tied her tightly and threaten her if she moves a bit they will kill her. I was shocked at this sudden attack, they slapped and start kicking me and use very rough word. In fear I was praying to mother Mary that mother can only save us from this danger Said faithful catholic Philimona In fear get pressure of urine and the dacoits said urine before them as I denied one dacoit took me to toilet and forced me to urine before the man said Philimona I felt very shame on that sexual harass. I live with my husband Dainel gomes , son Richard gomes and his wife Ms. Elizabeth gomes in this house said Philimona Richard gomes said the dacoit broke into my room and first hurt me with sharp arms but I got saved for little distance. They took Gold ornaments and valuable goods. Only the dacoit comes to the Christian village and this seems intentionally to persecute us that we may force to leave the village said Richard Pable John Gomes said previous Christmas even the Muslims attacked on us as we stooped them to entire into our church during mass, when they were trying to enter our church to disturb the woman. Prokash Rozario, a local catholic of Solepur said on August 15th, local Muslim dacoit attacks on our house and looted the valuable goods, we don’t find the help of police and there is no safety of our life. We are small in number and we are surrounded by Muslims, there main target is to evict us from the land and grab the land of Christians Pavel John Gomes a local catholic youth activist said the Solepur Catholic parish was attacked by Muslims back in year 1997 during gulf war , we do remember the fearful days , huge of people came from different madrassa(Islamic School) came and they declared the break our church , God saved us . The police were silent. I am also afraid to say anything about the recent persecution on Christians, many of our people were forced to sell land to Muslims and leave the village, there are incident that Muslims grabbed the land, before the Muslim youth tired to hijack a Christian girl, we are already cornered by persecution Fr. Alvin the parish priest of the local Catholics informed me the dacoits incident I ring the bell of church and alert the local people and I also informed about the persecution to the local government . Recently a local Muslim Swopon forcefully took the motor cycle of Raju Augustine Rozario on August 30th, the young catholic filed a police case in this purpose but the motorcycle is not recovered by the police yet. Raju Augustine Rozario said I have hardly filed the police case against the person who forcefully took my motor cycle. Yet one is arrested by police. Human Rights activist Annie Halder said We the persecution on minorities are increasing in Bangladesh. Government fails in many ways to protect the minorities of Bangladesh. The young man and woman are the targets of the fundamentalist that they can stop the progression of the minority community by persecuting them. |
Designed by: ::ChristBD:: Bangladeshi Christian Community.
