Before Pope's Visit, A Catholic Priest Goes Missing, Ransom Demanded

 Father Walter William Rozario 

Photo courtesy: www.dailystar.net/

Father Walter William Rozario, 40, an assistant priest of Borni Catholic Church of Natore District  goes missing in the middle of his hectic preparation for bringing his 300-member Catholic group to Dhaka for the visit of Pope Francis on November 30. His younger brother reported to the local police that the miscreants demanded Tk. 300,000 (US. $3,618) for his release.

Local police chief told AFP, "He has been missing since late Monday [Nov. 27]. His mobile [cellphone] has been switched off." Gervas Rozario, Bishop of Rajshahi Diocese, believe that the priest has been kidnapped and Catholics in the region were deeply worried. The police are engaged in a vigorous search for Fr. Rozario. 

Islamic militants in the recent past were active in the region kidnapping, shooting, and killing people of minority communities. Father Walter Rozario hails from Borni Catholic village, where a local Catholic grocer, Sunil Gomes was mercilessly hacked to death in June, 2016. 

For more on Father Walter William Rozario, please read the following:

• Assistant Catholic priest in Natore goes missing (Nov. 28, 2017)
• Ahead of pope's visit, a priest goes missing in Bangladesh (Nov. 29, 2017)
• Natore priest missing: Miscreants 'demand Tk. 3 lakh ransom' (Nov. 29, 2017)
• Catholic priest disappears in Bangladesh before Pope visit (Nov. 29, 2017)

News Update: Father Walter William Rozario Has Been Found

• Missing Catholic priest found in Sylhet (Dec. 1, 2017)
• Priest missing from Natore rescued in Sylhet (Dec. 2, 2017)
• Natore priest goes missing: A case of abduction or self-disappearance? (Dec. 2, 2017)
• Natore priest went into hiding willingly: police (Dec. 2, 2017)
• Natore priest went into hiding, not kidnapped, police say (Dec. 3, 2017)
• Abducted Bangladeshi priest freed (Dec. 3, 2017)
• Bishop and police bicker over priest 'abduction' (Dec. 4, 2017)

New Twist in the Disappearance of Father Walter William Rozario: He Fled in Face of Accusations of Sexual Misconduct 

• Bangladeshi priest accused of sexual relations with women and girl (Despite police finding that Father Walter Rozario had sex with women and an underage girl, the church has taken no action) (June 13, 2018)
• Bishop opens inquiry into Bangladeshi priest sex claims (Father Walter Rozario removed from post of acting headmaster of Church-run school in Natore district following allegations) (June 14, 2018)
• Accusations against Bangladeshi priest highlights problems of abuse [in Catholic Church in Bangladesh] (June 14, 2018)
• Bangladesh wake-up call on sexual abuse for Asia's bishops (The case of Father Walter Rozario bears all the hallmarks of denial, cover-up and silencing victims seen in the west) (June 14, 2018)

(Updated on Dec. 2 and 4, 2017)
(Updated on June 15, 2018)