ICC Note:
A ransom of 300,000 Taka has been demanded by unidentified criminals responsible for the disappearance of a Catholic priest earlier this week. On Monday, Fr. Walter William Rozario disappeared with many concerned he had been abducted by Islamic extremists known to target Christians in northern Bangladesh. Currently, the family is trying to work with the police to secure the safe return of Fr. Rozario. The abduction has made headlines because it happened on the eve of the Pope making his first visit to Bangladesh, a country with a tiny Christian population often effected by persecution.
11/30/2017 Bangladesh (The Daily Star) – Unidentified criminals demanded a 300,000 Taka ransom from the family members of missing priest Walter William Rozario on Tuesday night.
Bimal Rozario, his elder brother, confirmed the matter.
“My younger brother Amal Rozario received a call from Walter’s phone on Tuesday night. The caller demanded Tk 3 lakh from us immediately. But we sought time to arrange the money and informed the matter to police,” Bimal added.
The criminals again called them yesterday morning, said “namaskar” and hung up.
The priest went missing just two days ahead of the landmark visit of Pope Francis to Bangladesh, a country where less than 0.5 percent of 160 million people are Christians.
It is learned that Father Walter was organizing people to join a special prayer session of Pope Francis in the capital.
Demanding his immediate release, Champa Rozario, sister of the missing priest, said their family had given up the plan to take part in the holy mass of Pope Francis against this circumstance.
Shital Rozario, assistant teacher of Saint Louis High School, said, “Our Headteacher Walter William Rozario is a gentleman and a priest. He has no enmity with anybody.
“We have informed our higher authorities and they have informed the matter to the Pope. Police are apparently not doing enough. It should not be very difficult to trace him as his phone is on and within the network,” Shital added.
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