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Church leaders alarmed after bombs thrown at Bangladesh cathedral and school

by Nayana Mena
2023-12-25T000000Z_24449545_MT1ABCPR880558020_RTRMADP_3_ABACA-PRESS.JPG - Banner image
Image Credit: Habibur Rahman/ABACA via Reuters Connect

A Catholic cathedral and school in Dhaka, Bangladesh, have been targeted in what church leaders described as a “terrifying” act of anti-Christian violence.

A crude bomb exploded outside St. Mary’s Cathedral on November 7, while another device was thrown at St. Joseph’s School and College, about five kilometers away. No one was injured, but the attacks have shaken the city’s Christian minority, according to local media.

Fr. Albert Rozario of St. Mary’s Cathedral told Asia News: “Around 600 guests from various churches across the country were expected to attend the program in the morning. But at night, a Molotov cocktail explosion occurred in front of the cathedral.”

“Police have already visited the site, and we will take legal action regarding the attack,” he added.

Mazharul Islam, assistant commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), told reporters that investigations indicate two homemade bombs were hurled at the church—one exploded, the other did not.

The incident followed a similar attack on October 8, when a bomb was thrown at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, the country’s oldest Christian site. A man linked to the Awami League, one of Bangladesh’s main political parties, was later arrested in connection with that bombing.

Bangladesh’s Catholic community, which numbers around 400,000 members, has generally lived peacefully alongside the Muslim majority.

However, Bangladesh has faced growing unrest since the July Revolution last year, which left an estimated 1,400 people dead and led to the resignation of former leader Sheikh Hasina.

A temporary government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has ruled since August 8, but Christians say it has failed to protect them.

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