Bangladesh: 91 year-old Christian murdered in suspected revenge attack

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A 91-year-old Christian villager was drugged and killed in southern Bangladesh last month, in what is believed to have been a revenge attack on his family for giving evidence in a rape case against a Muslim man, Asia News reports. The killing of Malkam D’Costa at his home in the village of Padrishibpur, Barisal triggered angry protests among local Bangladeshi Christians, who say they are persecuted as a minority faith group in their Islamic-majority country.

Last year, a neighbor of Malkam D ‘Costa in the village of was drugged and raped while she was at home alone, Asia News said. The woman reported the crime and a Muslim man, Mohammad Alam, was arrested and charged. At the trial, Malkam D ’Costa’s son testified on the woman’s behalf.

Malkam’s family believe he was murdered because his son gave evidence against Alam. During the attack in which Malkam was killed, five other members of his family were also drugged and were hospitalized as a result.

On February 1, around 100 Christians held a protest in Padrishibpur, Asia News said. The protestors shouted slogans such as: “We want justice” and “Brother Malkam is in the grave, why are his killers still out?”

Speaking to Asia News, protestor Andrio D’Costa said: “We Christians are citizens of this country, but they persecute us because we are a minority,” he said. “We want to live peacefully and see the perpetrators of this murder punished.

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