Christians in Bangladesh face growing insecurity amid surge in communal attacks: Report
Christian communities in Bangladesh brace for the holidays amid renewed attacks
Dhaka, Dec. 26 – Fear is mounting among the country’s Christian minority after a string of violent incidents targeting churches and schools in the capital over recent months, a report released Friday says.
Police have taken up stations at churches across Dhaka to ward off any further assaults during Christmas and New Year celebrations. The security push comes on the heels of several high‑profile attacks: crude bombs were hurled at Holy Rosary Church on Oct. 8; similar devices landed at St. Mary’s Cathedral on Nov. 7; and on the following day, a bomb‑like device was thrown at St. Joseph’s Higher Secondary School and College.
Last month, the Islamist group “Tauhidee Muslim Janata” sent threatening letters to Notre Dame College and Holy Cross College, accusing the institutions of engaging 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.
Gomes noted that churches throughout the city have formed security committees and installed CCTV cameras ahead of the holiday services, reflecting a widespread sense that an attack could occur at any moment.
The report also highlighted the broader climate of violence against religious minorities in Bangladesh. The Dhaka‑based rights group Ain O Salish Kendra recorded 128 mob lynchings in 2024—more than twice the tally of the previous year—and noted that “another 111 people were killed in mob violence in the first seven months of this year,” with Ahmadiyyas, women, mystic singers and Sufi shrine devotees among the most recent targets.
The Bangladesh Catholic Education Board urged schools to stay alert 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 make up less than 0.5 % of Bangladesh’s roughly 170 million residents, with about 400,000 Catholics and the remainder Protestants. Ajay Mree, a Garo Catholic in the Tangail district, said the community has scaled back its Christmas celebrations because of safety fears. “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 explained.
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