Archbishop D’Cruze raises alarm after bomb attacks on Catholic churches and schools in Bangladesh, urging action to protect religious minorities.
Newsroom (14/11/2025 Gaudium Press ) A series of crude bomb attacks targeting Catholic institutions in Bangladesh has ignited fresh concerns about religious freedom in the Muslim-majority nation, with Christian leaders calling for urgent government action to protect minorities and uphold the country’s secular principles.
Within a single month, four explosions struck Catholic churches and schools, including two of Dhaka’s most prominent religious sites visited by Pope Francis in 2017. On Oct. 8, Holy Rosary Church in Tejgaon, one of Bangladesh’s oldest Catholic parishes, was targeted. On Nov. 7, hours before a national celebration of the Year of Jubilee expected to draw 600 worshippers, two crude bombs were hurled at the gate of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Dhaka. The following day, St. Joseph’s Higher Secondary School and College faced a similar assault.
“Christians in Bangladesh are deeply shocked and alarmed by the unprecedented incidents,” said Archbishop Bejoy N. D’Cruze of Dhaka in a Nov. 12 statement. He described the attacks as “extremely disappointing” and a critical test of Bangladesh’s commitment to secularism, urging the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to swiftly identify and prosecute those responsible.
Bangladesh’s Christian community, numbering roughly 500,000, has long played a vital role in national development through education, healthcare, and social services, D’Cruze noted. Yet, the recent violence has heightened fears among minorities, who make up less than 1% of the country’s 170 million population. The archbishop warned that failure to deliver justice could embolden perpetrators and risk escalating communal tensions, citing unresolved cases like the 2001 bombing of a church in Baniarchor that killed 10 worshippers.
Police have yet to identify suspects or motives, though some local media reports suggest involvement of supporters of the ousted Awami League government, led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India following a student-led uprising on Aug. 5. After Hasina’s departure, some Catholic institutions faced hostility from anti-Hasina protesters, who accused certain teachers of being loyalists to her regime. Several Catholic schools reportedly dismissed educators under pressure from student groups, a move Jyoti F. Gomes, secretary of the Bangladesh Education Board, called “unfortunate and regrettable.”
The Yunus administration has labeled the attacks politically motivated and vowed to apprehend those responsible. However, skepticism persists among minority leaders, who point to a broader pattern of violence. Manindra Kumar Nath, acting general secretary of the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC), told UCA News on Nov. 14 that minority communities had hoped for a more inclusive society following the July uprising. “Our expectations have not been fulfilled,” he said, referencing a BHBCUC report documenting 2,624 attacks on minority homes, shops, and places of worship—mostly targeting Hindus—since Aug. 5, 2024.
Sanjeeb Drong, a Catholic from the ethnic Garo community and secretary of the Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, emphasized the need for thorough investigations to restore confidence. “Otherwise, minorities will feel threatened and want to leave the country,” he warned.
The attacks have cast a shadow over Bangladesh’s reputation as a secular state, raising questions about the interim government’s ability to protect religious diversity amid political upheaval. For the Christian community, the bombings are not just isolated incidents but a stark reminder of their vulnerability in a nation grappling with deep-seated tensions. As Archbishop D’Cruze and other leaders await action, their plea remains clear: justice must prevail to ensure that all Bangladeshis can practice their faith without fear.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from UCA News
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