Despite fear of violence before Bangladesh’s national elections, thousands gather for St. Anthony’s feast, praying for peace and unity.
Newsroom (10/02/2026 Gaudium Press ) Thousands of pilgrims converged on St. Anthony’s shrine in Bangladesh’s Archdiocese of Dhaka on February 6, defying fears of violence days before the country’s national elections. Against a backdrop of heightened political tension in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, more than 40,000 faithful filled the grounds of St. Nicholas of Tolentino Church at Panjora village in Gazipur district, praying for peace in their country and the world.
Heightened Security Amid Political Tension
This year’s pilgrimage took place under tight security. Police patrols surrounded the shrine, CCTV cameras monitored every entrance, and officers stood watch across the fields. The presence of heavily armed guards underscored the anxiety that has gripped minority communities ahead of the February 12 elections.
Many pilgrims admitted hesitation before making the journey.
“We also did not want to come to the shrine this year out of fear,” said Animesh Gomes, a 42-year-old pilgrim who traveled 160 miles from the Rajshahi diocese with his family. “But later we decided that if something happens while attending a religious ceremony, it is not a problem. So, I came with my family.”
Security fears have intensified since November 2025, when hand grenades exploded at the Dhaka Cathedral and St. Joseph’s School and College. One month later, several Catholic institutions received threatening letters from an extremist Muslim group, warning of attacks on churches, chapels, and missionary sites.
Archbishop Bejoy D’Cruze of Dhaka condemned the threats, calling them a “grave concern for the Catholic Church.” The letters accused Christian institutions of using education to convert Muslims in a country where approximately 90 percent of the population follows Islam.
Minority Anxiety Before the Polls
The attacks and threats have shaken Bangladesh’s small Christian community, which accounts for less than one percent of its 180 million citizens. The unease is compounded by political flux since the 2024 student-led uprising that toppled the long-serving government of Sheikh Hasina. After Hasina fled to India, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus temporarily assumed leadership. As the February 12 polls approach, uncertainty grips the nation.
Analysts expect a close contest between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the hardline Islamist Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. Many minority groups fear that an Islamist resurgence could lead to renewed intolerance.
Prayers and Reflection at the Shrine
In his homily during the Feb. 6 Mass, Auxiliary Bishop Subroto Boniface Gomes of Dhaka reminded worshippers that “God’s word is a letter of love” — something not only to be read but lived. He urged the faithful to follow the example of St. Anthony of Padua, the 13th-century Portuguese Franciscan known for his preaching and compassion for the poor.
“Just as the great St. Anthony brought many people to God,” he said, “may we also bring others to the path of God.” The bishop cautioned that too many approach the saint only to ask for favors, forgetting to attend regular Mass or to live by Christian ideals. “St. Anthony calls us to live according to Christ’s ideals and to bring others to His path,” he added.
An Interfaith Tradition of Faith and Hope
The St. Anthony’s pilgrimage has long stood as Bangladesh’s largest annual interfaith gathering. Christians, Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists come together to offer thanks and prayers — a testament to the nation’s centuries-old syncretic traditions.
According to legend, devotion to St. Anthony began in the region centuries ago when a statue of the saint mysteriously vanished and later reappeared at the Panjora site. The miracle inspired locals to build a shrine, which soon became a center of pilgrimage. The faith was further strengthened by Dom Antonio, an 18th-century Bengali Catholic who converted thousands of lower-caste Hindus across what is now the Archdiocese of Dhaka.
Even under threat, devotion endures. As incense rose through the humid February air and bells rang from the church tower, the crowd stood together — anxious but defiant — whispering the same prayer: peace for Bangladesh and peace for the world.
- Raju Hasmukh with files form OSV News
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