Pabna trader attacked for protest

A fertiliser trader was brutally attacked with sharp weapons and critically injured in Failzana village of Pabna's Chatmohar upazila on Sunday night after he protested the illicit relationship of a man with a woman from his own community.

The victim, Ranjit Rosario, 30 son of Judge Rosario of Failzana village is undergoing treatment in Pabna Medical College Hospital and remains in critical condition. 

The local Christian community is now worried over the attack and are demanding exemplary punishment of his attackers.

A group of men numbering four or five led by Badsha Miah from Nengri village in the upazila attacked him with sharp weapons, the victim said.

“Badsha had an illicit relationship with a Christian woman in my village. I caught him three months ago with the woman and took him to the local elders. They forbade him from coming to our village again which angered him and Badsha has threatened to kill me several times since then,” Ranjit said.

"I filed a general diary about the incident with Chatmohar police station a month ago but he did not stop threatening me," Ranjit said.

His older brother Autul Rozario said, “We have rescued him and admitted him to Chatmohar upazila health comlex from where he was shifted to Pabna Medical College Hospital Monday morning.”

"We fear there might be more attacks from this group on us," he said.

Victim's wife Pollobi Rosario told The Daily Star her husband who is a fertilizer dealer in the village keeps to his own business but these men are threatening to kill him now because he protested Badsha's illicit involvement with a woman from their own community.

“This woman in question has now left for Dhaka which has enraged Badsha and he wants to take revenge on my husband, " Pallabi said.

Member of Failzana Union Parishad Md Haran Ali, also a resident of the same village, said the local Chistians are very worried about the attack.

Officer in charge of Chatmohar police station Subroto Kumar said, police is trying to nab Badsha and his men but they remain absconding right now.

Victim's family were preparing to file another case against Badsha at the time this report was filed.