Dhaka: The fears among Bangladesh’s Christian communities have deepened after a series of attacks on Christian institutions in Dhaka over the past few months, a report said on Friday.
Authorities have deployed police in churches across the capital to prevent possible attacks on the Christian communities during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
According to a report in Union of Catholic Asian (UCA) News, crude bombs were thrown at Holy Rosary Church in Dhaka on October 8. Similar devices were thrown at St. Mary’s Cathedral on November 7 and at St. Joseph’s Higher Secondary School and College in the capital the following day.
Last month, an extremist group in Bangladesh, ‘Tauhidee Muslim Janata’, issued threatening letters to Notre Dame College and Holy Cross College, alleging their involvement in religious conversion activities.
“All this has created a climate of fear ahead of Christmas. There is a palpable fear because of the recent trend of mob violence. We have to think twice before speaking,” UCA news quoted Father Joyanto S. Gomes, parish priest of Holy Rosary Church, as saying.
The report highlighted that the fear of potential attacks is widespread among Christians. Gomes stated that Churches across Dhaka have set up security committees and installed CCTV cameras to protect worshippers in preparation for Christmas and New Year services.
Highlighting the atrocities on minorities in Bangladesh, the report mentioned Dhaka-based rights group Ain O Salish Kendra “recorded 128 mob lynchings in 2024, more than double the previous year”. It added that “another 111 people were killed in mob violence in the first seven months of this year,” while religious minorities, including Ahmadiyyas, women, mystic singers, and Sufi shrines, have also been targeted.”
The Bangladesh Catholic Education Board has advised schools to stay vigilant during the holiday break.
“We don’t want to panic, but we must be vigilant. If the election is held fairly, it would be good for the country. But there is no guarantee, ” said board secretary Jyoti F. Gomes
Christians form a tiny minority in Bangladesh, representing less than 0.5 per cent of the country’s roughly 170 million people, of whom nearly 400,000 are Catholics and the remainder Protestants.
Ajay Mree, a Garo Catholic in the Tangail district, said communities have curtailed festivities amid safety concerns.
“In the past years, we sang carols all night on Christmas Eve. This year, we will stop by in the evening. Police advised us not to sing through the night, fearing an untoward incident,” he stated.
(IANS)
