3 Christian siblings stabbed

Three siblings were injured in an attack inside their home in the capital's Mohakhali early yesterday.

The injured are Lawrence Ranjon D'Cruz, 37, Alexandar Rajesh D'Cruz, 35, and Bipasha D'Cruz, 40.

Lawrence and Alexandar, who were hacked and shot, were being treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Bipasha had a cut in her left arm. She was released from the hospital after primary treatment, said DMCH sources.

Officer-in-Charge Majharul Islam of Tejgaon Police Station said it was a burglary gone wrong.

However, the family and other Christians in the area said the incident could also be a sequel to some recent attacks on Christian priests and other members of the community.

Rekha Teresa D'Cruz, the victims' mother, told The Daily Star that the incident happened on the first floor of a six-storey building in Arjetpara area.

Bipasha, who was asleep next to Rekha, woke up around 3:30am hearing some noise and saw three men in their room. One of them said he was a burglar and repeatedly warned them not to scream. But Bipasha did. 

Hearing her scream, the two brothers rushed there and caught two of the intruders.

A scuffle took place and at one point the criminals opened fire on the two youths and hacked them with sharp weapons. Bipasha cut her hand when she tried to save her brothers, added Rekha.

The attackers, whose faces were covered with handkerchiefs, fled immediately via the balcony.

A neighbour said he also heard two gunshots.

Monica Gomez, Rekha's sister who lives upstairs, said she saw the brothers lying in a pool of blood at the scene. Rekha had called her over the phone.

The victims were first taken to Ayesha Memorial Hospital in Mohakhali but were moved to the DMCH later.

DMCH sources said Lawrence was shot in his lower back and had cuts in the head, face, back, chest and left arm. Alexandar was shot in the right thigh and had similar cuts.

OC Majharul Islam said police recovered two bullet shells and a bloodstained machete from the scene.

The burglars broke into the flat cutting the iron bars of a window of the living room, he added.

Rekha too said the attack might be the result of a burglary gone wrong.

All the tenants in that building were Christians. 

Rekha said the criminals had disconnected all the cables from a large-screen TV. But they left the scene without anything.

Rita Gomez, Rekha's other sister who also lives in a nearby building, said all of them were feeling insecure after the incident.

Pastor Luke Sarker survived a deadly attack on October 5 in Pabna while Piero Parolari, an Italian doctor and priest was shot in the back of his head in Dinajpur in November. At least a dozen Christian priests have received death threats through text messages recently.