An Italian priest was shot by unidentified gunmen in Dinajpur yesterday morning, which is the latest in a series of attacks made on foreign nationals in the country recently.
The victim, Piero Parolari, 50, has lived and worked as a missionary in the country for 25 years - 12 years in Dinajpur alone – and is also a physician at Suihari Catholic Mission Church in the district.
Yesterday’s attack was made at a time when police are still investigating the murders of Cesare Tavella and Hoshi Kunio.
Parolari was riding a bicycle to St Vincent Hospital, which is run by the church, after his morning prayers when he was attacked.
Three persons on a motorbike followed him and shot him after he reached the BRTC bus depot at Mirzapur around 8:30am.
Locals said the gunmen targeted Parolari’s head but the bullet fired from behind grazed his neck, causing him to fall off his bicycle. The attackers took a nearby lane and sped away.
“Parolari was whisked off to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital but was flown to Dhaka by a helicopter of Bangladesh Air Force around 4pm for better treatment,” said Dinajpur Kotwali police station Officer-in-Charge Khalequzzaman.
Dr Zillur Rahman of Dinajpur Medical College Hospital said the injury in Parolari’s neck was deep.
He also said a CT scan of the victim’s head was performed.
One man associated with Suihari Catholic Mission Church told the Dhaka Tribune that Parolari’s condition was stable.
The attack is the third on foreigners in the country in less than two months. Italian aid worker Cesare Tavella was killed in Dhaka’s Gulshan in late September and Japanese citizen Hoshi Kunio in Rangpur’s Kaunia upazila on October 3.
Deputy Inspector General of Rangpur range Humayun Kabir visited Parolari at Dinajpur Medical College Hospital and told reporters that the attack was linked to the two previous attacks.
“But nothing further can be said until the investigation ends,” he said.
“It is not yet clear why Parolari was attacked. We have recovered a bullet shell from the scene,” added the police official.
On October 5, 52-year-old Bangladeshi Christian priest Luke Sarker was attacked at his home in Pabna’s Ishwardi. Three men attempted to kill him by slitting his throat but fled after the priest screamed for help.
Police arrested five members of banned militant group Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh for their suspected involvement in the attack. A sixth arrest was later made and police described the arrestee as the prime suspect.