Bangladeshi Christians living in fear after bombing attacks

Christians in Bangladesh have reportedly grown fearful following a pattern of violence against Catholic sites, with the most recent incident consisting of a homemade bomb attack against a Catholic cathedral and a Church-run school. 

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police in Bangladesh arrested a 28-year-old suspect in connection with the attacks at St. Mary’s Cathedral and St. Joseph School last week, according to Catholic News Agency. 

The first attack occurred at the cathedral in Dhaka on Friday around 10:30 p.m. local time, according to the Catholic outlet. A homemade bomb exploded near the cathedral, and the police later discovered another device on church grounds that didn’t explode. 

One day after the explosion at St. Mary’s Cathedral, another homemade bomb exploded on Saturday, this time inside the compound of St. Joseph’s Higher Secondary School and College in Mohammadpur. 

The school is located near the residences of several religious communities, as well as the headquarters of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh, according to CNA. 

Despite the two attacks, The Catholic Herald reported on Saturday that no one was injured. The outlet noted that St. Mary’s Cathedral celebrates a daily Mass at 6:30 a.m., which had around 500 worshipers attend on the Saturday after the attack.

“The throwing of cocktails at the church again in a month has worried our Catholic community,” Father Bulbul Rebeiro, secretary of social communications for the CBCB, said in a statement.

“But we do not know the motive for this attack, but we will request the administration to quickly find out the motive for these incidents and arrest and bring to justice those who committed them,” Rebeiro continued. 

During a Nov. 8 press conference, the CBCB social communications secretary called on the administration to ensure that Christians can participate safely in religious activities, CNA reported. 

“We Christians are very few in number; we are peace-loving people,” Rebeiro said during the conference. “But these incidents are frightening us.”

Police are questioning the 28-year-old suspect about other incidents aside from the explosions, according to CNA. Investigators have also identified the suspect as a member of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BLC), the Awami League’s student wing. 

The BLC was banned under anti-terrorism legislation for its involvement in protests and violence during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s regime. 

According to Open Doors, which ranks Bangladesh at No. 24 on its World Watch List of places where Christians face the most persecution, the violence from protests in August 2024 “spilled over” and resulted in radical groups taking advantage of the chaos to attack Christians. 

Christian converts in Bangladesh who have renounced their faith in Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism or other traditional religions are particularly vulnerable to persecution, according to Open Doors. 

Male Christians may be subjected to beatings and torture, while female Christians face the threat of sexual assault, forced marriage or divorce, the watchdog group noted. Traditional churches, such as the Roman Catholic Church, might also experience attacks and have threats made against their clergy. 

While the imprisonment of church leaders in Bangladesh is rare, according to Open Doors, these leaders still face the risk of arrest. 

In addition to increasing security at churches and religious sites across the capital, the Dhaka police are also working with the country’s Rapid Action Battalion in a citywide search for additional suspects, according to CNA. 

As The Catholic Herald reported on Saturday, the homemade bomb attacks last week occurred only one month after the Oct. 8 bombing at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, the country’s oldest Catholic church. 

On the day of the attack, a bomb was hurled at the church, with CNA reporting that it exploded at the church’s gate. 

At the time of reporting, no groups have come forward to claim responsibility for the attacks. CNA reported that the Bangladesh Christian Association believes the timing of the bombings suggests that they were part of a coordinated attack.