7 charged with Italian priest murder bid in Bangladesh

The charges come as Bangladesh reels from the killing of 20 hostages – including nine Italians -- over the weekend at an upmarket cafe in the capital Dhaka.

The priest Piero Parolari, who is also a doctor, was shot by unidentified gunmen in the northern Dinajpur district last November.

The Islamic State group said it was responsible for the attack -- a claim promptly rejected by the government and police. Police later arrested four suspected members of the Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), with two allegedly confessing their roles in the attack. 

 Police on Sunday pressed charges against seven JMB followers for the attack, recommending that they be given death sentences if found guilty. Three of those charged remain on the run, including a student at a private university whose father is a Bangladeshi-origin Canadian citizen.