DHAKA: Three American missionaries were injured in northern Bangladesh Wednesday after their car was attacked by a mob who suspected they were converting Muslims into Christians, police said.

Police arrested two teachers and a student from an Islamic seminary in Madarganj, 200 kilometres north of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, following the attack.

At least 200 angry locals chased the missionaries’ car and threw stones at it, leaving three with cuts from broken glass, the district police chief said.

The missionaries were part of a group “of seven Presbyterians who were attacked by the villagers. They have been given first-aid and moved to a safer place,” Abdur Razzaq said.The US citizens were accompanied by a Bangladeshi Christian convert to assess a piece of land for setting up a church, a school and a hospital to conduct missionary activities in the largely Muslim area, he said.

“We could not arrange security for the Americans as they did not inform us or other security agencies in advance about their visit in such a remote place,” Razzaq said.—AFP