THE Christian community in Bangladesh, which numbers about 500,000 people, and makes up less than one per cent of the population, says that it is facing growing insecurity amid political uncertainty after the ousting of the former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 (News, 9 August 2024).
Community leaders report a rise in intimidation, targeted attacks, and boycotts that have left many Christians fearful and increasingly confined to their homes.
Under the interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, incidents involving religious minorities have continued. Christian leaders allege that violence against their community remains under-reported and inadequately addressed.
While Hindu groups have documented thousands of attacks on minorities since August 2024, Christian organisations say that their cases often receive little attention.
“We are living in constant fear,” a Roman Catholic schoolteacher in Dhaka, who wished to remain anonymous, said. “Churches are being watched, warnings appear on walls, and families are afraid to move freely. It feels like we have been left to protect ourselves.”
In late 2025, crude bomb attacks targeted Christian institutions in the capital, including the historic RC Holy Rosary Church, and an RC school.
Although no one was injured, the incidents resulted in panic. Police described the blasts as attempts to intimidate the community, but no group claimed responsibility.
Earlier, Christian institutions, including Notre Dame College and Holy Cross College, received threatening letters from an extremist group accusing them of conversion activities.
Christians say that they are even more vulnerable in rural areas. RC families protested on New Year’s Day in the village of Tetulia, in the Satkhira district, alleging repeated assaults by local mobs.
“About 50 people came with sticks and sharp weapons,” a resident, Sabuj Goldar, said. “We are citizens of this country. Why shouldn’t we get justice?”
Several families have stopped attending public prayers and celebrations, fearing retaliation.
Pastors say that converts from Islam or tribal communities face the highest risk. There are reports of the looting of homes, the burning of churches, and pressure on families to renounce their faith.
The interim government has maintained that much of the violence is politically motivated rather than communal, but this is disputed by minority groups.
“When attacks happen again and again, and no one is punished, it sends a message of impunity,” the president of the Bangladesh Christian Association, Nirmal Rozario, said. “Our demand is simple: security, investigation, and justice.”
National elections are scheduled for 12 February, and minority leaders fear that further intimidation could suppress participation.
International human-rights groups and governments have raised concerns, urging authorities to ensure safety and accountability.
“For now, we live quietly and cautiously,” a pastor from northern Bangladesh said. “But faith should not mean fear. We only want to live with dignity and equal protection under the law.”
