Bangladesh, death threats for three more Hindu priests

The letters were left in temples where they work or delivered to staff. Another assistant received verbal threats: "Prepare to die." The police have been alerted, but the minorities live in fear.

 

Dhaka (AsiaNews) - In recent days, three Bangladeshi Hindu priests have received anonymous letters in which they are threatened with death. The letters were delivered to the temples where the religious serve and now even the local faithful fear for their lives, because of yet another threat against religious minorities in the country.

Bangladesh has witnessed a succession of targeted killings against members of the Christian, Hindu and Buddhist communities, as well as against those who dare to speak of a liberal and democratic society. The latest in a long series of murders took place on the morning of July 1 to the detriment of another Hindu priest, hacked to death on the same day in which the Islamic terrorists stormed a Dhaka cafe frequented by foreigners and killed 20 people.

The three threatened priests are Bijoy Chakraborty of Rangpur (in the north), Ruhidas Pal and Salil Mukherjee Sibu of Pirojpur (in the south). That have all alerted local authorities and lodged a complaint. The form of threat is similar in all cases: a letter, contained in a manila envelope, was left in the temple or delivered into the hands of an attendant.

The one delivered to the priest Ruhidas Pal, who works in the temple Palpara Durga-Kali says: "The death mission starts now. No need for you to know who we are. All Hindu priests, leaders and staff employed will be killed one by one”.

In addition to the three priests, verbal threats have reached an assistant ashram Deshbondhu Bishwakalyan Geeta, in the administrative division of Baufal. The 70-year-old man was approached by a stranger who was wearing a rain jacket, who told him: "Your days are over. Prepare to die".

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