A Bangladeshi Catholic nun has fled to the United States, following repeated threats and harassment, reports Catholic News Service.
Sister Rosaline Costa, 67, followed three other members of her family in fleeing the country, after being targeted for her work as Executive Director of Hotline Human Rights Trust, and Editor of the Hotline Bangladesh newsletter, which reports on corruption and incidents of religious violence.
Costa’s two nephews and a niece each fled the country last year after facing their own threats – the niece by a Muslim uncle who wanted to force her to marry him; the nephews after being told they must convert to Islam or face the consequences.
There has been a flurry of violent incidents against Christians and other religious minorities in Bangladesh this year.
In June, a Christian grocer was killed by a group claiming to be the Islamic State. In May, two people were injured after bomb attacks on a Christian home. In April, a Hindu tailor was hacked to death for allegedly blaspheming against Islam’s prophet. In March, a 65-year-old Muslim convert to Christianity, Hossain Ali, was hacked to death, and in January a 75-year-old pastor, Khaza Somiruddin, was murdered.