Widow killed in Gazipur, apparently in a land dispute

The victim, Varonica Rozario, leaves three children. She worked as an assistant at a Catholic girls’ high school. A well-known Baul singer also has been reported missing for several days.

Gazipur (AsiaNews) – A 50-year-old woman was stabbed to death and left in a pool of blood at her home in Ulukhola, a village in Gazipur, Bangladesh.

The victim, Varonica Rozario, was a widow with three children. A member of the Catholic community in Mathbari, Archdiocese of Dhaka, she worked as an assistant at the local church-run Mathbari Girls' High School.

Her eldest daughter, Luban Rozario, spoke to AsiaNews. Her mother, she believes, was killed over “a land issue.” The culprits “told us that we could not live on this land.” The day before the assassination, Varonica’s youngest daughter left to start a new job teaching in a school in Chattogram (in the south of the country).

Varonica, who lost her husband eight years ago, was thus at home on Monday, alone, when she was attacked, killed in her room, stabbed eight times, in the throat, eyes and head.

"We cannot understand why she was murdered. We are trying to catch the culprits,” said AKM Mijanul Haq, the police officer in charge of the Kaliganj Police Station. Investigators found a fish outside the fridge ready for cooking. The house was turned upside down.

Bablu Rozario, a member of the local Union Parishad (council), said that "Varonica had no enemies. We can't understand why she was killed."

The local parish priest and Christians protested against the murder. “People in Ulukhola live in fear,” said Fr Ujjol Rozario. “Murders take place to grab land. The authorities must capture the killers and bring them to justice."

Nirmol Rozario, president of the Bangladesh Christian Association (BCA), is concerned on behalf of the Christian community. “We have called on the police to investigate,” he said.

Meanwhile, Subash Rozario (pictures 2 and 3), a 39-year-old Catholic Baul (mystic) singer, has been missing since 24 September from Chatmohor, near Pabna, Diocese of Rajshahi.

The singer is a member of the Mariabad Borni parish, in Natore. He has appeared in various television programmes and cultural shows.

So far, “The police have been negligent in their search,” said the BCA president. “We want his safe return.”

• bangladesh
• dhaka
• gazipur
• murdered woman
• land
• singer
• baul