Harmony and fraternity: The gifts for Dhaka in a country with an uncertain future

The small Catholic community in Bangladesh celebrates Christmas with a mixture of confidence and concern in the new phase opened by the student movement that swept the Awami League in the summer. Dhaka Archbishop Bejoy N. D'Cruze: ‘We imagine a country at peace where marginalised people are treated with dignity and men and women enjoy the same rights’.

Dhaka (AsiaNews) - Catholics in Bangladesh are celebrating Christmas this year with a mixture of hope and uncertainty after a turbulent year. Between July and August, the country witnessed a student-led popular uprising that left 859 people dead and over 11,000 injured. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India, leaving the nation under the leadership of an interim government headed by Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus, who in recent days has promised elections for late 2025 or early 2026.

Catholics, who historically supported Hasina's Bangladesh Awami League party, are re-evaluating their political stance and looking for a secular alternative. ‘We supported theAwami League, but now we are looking for a second option, one that can promote a country where people of all faiths can live together,’ comments Raphael Gomes, a 65-year-old Catholic from Dhaka's Tejgaon district. He tells of his concern about the growing influence of Islamist groups fighting for power, which poses a potential threat to religious minorities.

Economic difficulties are also weighing on ordinary citizens. The rising cost of basic necessities has exacerbated their difficulties. ‘Even under theAwami League government, inflation was high. Unfortunately, this interim government has failed to control it and this is making ordinary people suffer,' complains Ranjit Rozario, a young Catholic, speaking to AsiaNews. He calls on the interim administration to take immediate measures to tackle inflation and alleviate its burden on people's lives.

The Christian community continues to hope that Bangladesh will emerge from this transition as a democratic and inclusive nation, where all citizens - regardless of their faith - can live together peacefully. Archbishop Bejoy N. D'Cruze of Dhaka echoed these sentiments this Christmas, calling for prayers and collective efforts to build a harmonious future for the country.

‘Thanks to the student-led movement,’ the prelate said during a press conference held on 23 December at the Ramna Archbishopric in Dhaka, ‘the interim government is now running our country. We hope for a nation where people live in harmony and brotherhood. We hope that Bangladesh will become a democratic and secular country and we pray for the success of the interim government'.

Archbishop D'Cruze, who is also president of the Bangladesh Conference of Catholic Bishops, emphasised the Church's global concern for peace. ‘On Christmas Day, our main prayer to Jesus Christ will be for countries afflicted by wars and conflicts. We desire peace for all nations, including Bangladesh. We imagine a peaceful country where marginalised people are treated with dignity and men and women enjoy the same rights’.

About half a million Catholics live in Bangladesh out of a population of over 170 million. The communities will gather on Christmas morning, 25 December, to participate in special Masses. After the celebrations, they will sing Christmas carols, share sweets and visit friends and relatives, celebrating the festive spirit of joy and unity.

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• Dhaka
• Christians
• Christmas
• D'Cruze