B’desh police arrest 5 for attack on pastor

DHAKA: Police in Bangladesh have arrested five suspected members of a banned Islamist group for attacks on a Christian pastor earlier this month.

Police Superintendent Alamgir Kabir told a news conference in northwestern Pabna district on Monday that one of them arrested was directly involved in the attack on Luke Sarker on October 5 at his home.

Kabir said they identified them as Rakibul Islam, Ziaur Rahman, Amzad Hossain, Shariful Islam Tulip and Abdul Ali, and all members of Jumatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh (JMB).

He said the men were involved with Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, and later joined the Jumatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh (JMB).

Luke, a pastor of Faith Bible Church at Ishawrdi in the district, suffered minor injuries as three young men came to his house pretending to get lesson about Christianity. At one point they attacked him with a knife and attempted to slit his throat. But his wife got noticed and shouted for help, prompting the suspect to leave the home immediately.

The attempt came days after two foreigners, an Italian and a Japanese, were killed by unidentified people in the country.

The sunni hardline group IS claimed the responsibility for the attacks on the foreigners but that claims have been challenged by the government. The government rejected the claim and blamed the opposition including the Jamaat-e-Islami.

Earlier, police had arrested a member of the Islami Chhatra Shibir involving the attack on the pastor.