Sumon Corraya

After student protest and the harsh repression that cost more than 200 lives, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina bans Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing as terrorist organisations, blaming them for the violence. The party was created by Bangladeshis who fought for Pakistan in the 1971 War of Independence. The true unity for the good of the country remains a challenge.

This is a partial figure calculated only on the deaths so far confirmed while investigations continue to establish a definitive count. The unrest in recent weeks has also spread to the outlying areas of the capital. Yesterday Christians gathered in prayer for the victims.

The bishop of Rajshahi, president of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh, spoke to AsiaNews, calling for an end to the curfew that shut down the country, harming the poor above all. Those killed deserve justice, but order must be maintained. While Dhaka has been trying to get back to normal this morning, the death toll has risen to at least 197. Students say that some of their leaders are missing following the wave of arrests. The government blames the opposition and foreign "accomplices".

Demonstrations over the controversial quota system have mobilised thousands of young people, angered also by the prime minister who referred to them as “razakar", i.e. Bangladeshis who collaborated with Pakistan in 1971. Six people die in violent clashes with police and the Awami League’s student wing. Christian leaders back quotas to protect the most marginalised, but acknowledge they can be reformed.

Tens of thousands of young people have been on the streets for five days in the capital and across the country. They are demanding reform of the system that favours relatives of independence fighters. Amnesty's concern over police violence. Nil coordinator Nahid Islam: "We call for emergency session of Parliament".

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council today released its annual report on the persecution of ethnic-religious minorities in the country. About 1,045 incidents of violence were recorded in the past year, with 45 deaths. For lawyer Rana Dasgupta, “The environment for free religious practice has been completely narrowed.”

On the journey towards the October Assembly, the dioceses of Bangladesh held a seminar with the undersecretary of the Vatican department Sr. Nathalie Becquart. Participants: 'A revival for the Catholic Church in the country'. Archbishop Bejoy N. D'Cruze: "The laity want to participate in decisions and expect to see their dignity more recognised".

In the attack against the Holey Artisan Bakery, 22 people were killed. Since the authorities carried out massive arrests, no more massacres of this magnitude have occurred. However, jihadi groups are reorganising. The leader of the JMB is operating out of Turkey via the web, especially targeting youth.

The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was also celebrated in Dhaka yesterday. Bangladesh is one of the South Asian countries most affected by the phenomenon. The annual report of the Narcotics Control Directorate emphasises the role of digital platforms. Prof. Choudhury: "About 8 million drug addicts, most of them young".

Refugees are celebrating the Feast of Sacrifice in open-air prisons. Shedding tears and praying, they call for an end to torture and a dignified return to their homeland. Some 2,200 animals were provided for the sacrifice, said Refugee Relief Commissioner Shamsud Douza. For Saiful Hossain, a resident of Camp 13, “this is not our country, and there is no joy”.

Leaders of different faiths met yesterday at a seminar organised by the Archdiocese of Chittagong and World Vision to promote this perspective. Archbishop Lawrence Subrato Howladar wants to see the “strengthening the three-dimensional relationship between the Creator, nature, and human society.” Bangladesh is seventh most affected country in the world by climate change.

Caritas Secretary General Alistair Dutton visits the refugee camps where Caritas Bangladesh has been active since 2017 together with the Government of Bangladesh. Global food aid has fallen to US$ 10 per person per month, which has serious consequences. “Rohingya families are among the most vulnerable people in our world today,” Dutton said. “Teenagers have now spent half of their life in these settlements.” The international community cannot leave Bangladesh alone.