Habitually, on 3rd June, 2001, Sunday, the Catholics of Baniarchar went to church to attend the mass. Baniarhar is in Gopalganj district (Maksudpur village, post office Jalirpar, Gopalganj-8100). (Italian) Father Mimmo Pietanzo has been giving service to the church as Parish Priest for many years. There are 3,000 Catholics in Baniarchar church jurisdiction. Main occupation of the parishioners' is farming, fishing, handicraft, small scale business, etc. Some of the family members are engaged in service in Dhaka and other places. They came home once/twice in a month. Name of the Baniarchar church is Most Holy Redeemer Church, established in 1938. It's a 67 years old church.

As per religious order, the parishioners go to church to attend mass each Sunday to thank God. On that fateful Sunday everyone was attending the mass. After first reading of the Holy Bible, when the 2nd reading began, the bomb blast occurred inside the church. It was 7:30am, 10 Catholics died on the spot and 26 others were injured. Those who died were Michael Mallik (25), Monmoth Shikder (22), Peter Shaha (30), Amar Biswas (25), Binod Das (32), Jalish Biswas (30), Sumon Halder (27), Zintu Mondol (21), Rodricks Zetra (27) and Sonzibon Baroi (28). Lest we forget?

After that there was as usual judicial enquiry. And there were condolence meetings, protest meetings, human chain by Christian society and civil society. Government declared investigation team and on 18-2-2002, Justice Bari, the investigation team leader, himself came to Baniarchar to investigate. Then it was stated in the report that the bomb blast was the result of group feud! How convincing was it? Rather such almost vague comments push things into further mystery.

Four years have passed since the Baniarchar church incident, but whither justice? How long shall it take?

Not only Baniarchar Church bomb blast. The Jessore Udichi programme bomb blast, Dhaka Communist Party meeting bomb blast at Paltan, Bangla New Year bomb blast at Ramna Batomul, Sylhet Hazrat Shahjalal's Mazar bomb blast, Dhaka Bangabandhu Avenue Sheikh Hasina's meeting bomb blast and lastly ex-Finance Minister Shah MS Kibria's meeting bomb blast at Habiganj -- all remain shrouded in fog of mystery. Investigation continues and halts, never it is finished credibly. No perpetrator has been caught or punished. Then where shall we go for justice? However, we still wish all the facts are found in credible investigation and the guilty are caught and appropriately punished.

May God give eternal peace to those who have died in the bomb blasts. Amen.

Aldrick Biswas is Assistant Editor of Christabdo.