Sumon Corraya

Two days before the national elections, which also include a constitutional referendum, a climate of intense political uncertainty prevails in the country. With the exclusion of the Awami League, the electoral contest will see the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Jamaat-e-Islami, two parties deeply distrusted by Hindus and Christians, as the main protagonists. Once again, the country finds itself torn between hope for change and suspicion that the election’s outcome is already preordained.

About 300 faithful attended the event at the Church of the Rosary in Tejgaon. Archbishop Bejoy N. D'Cruze: divisions are ‘a great scandal’. Methodist Bishop Simon Biswas: ‘When we are united, Christ becomes visible’. An invitation to pray for national harmony in the pre-election context.

In 1985, she was the first in Bangladesh to embrace this vocation, reintroduced after the Second Vatican Council and now practised by eleven women in the country. For more than 40 years, Dora has served in providing spiritual direction, offering family guidance, and translating Church documents into Bengali. In her testimony on today's World Day for Consecrated Life, she said: “when we give everything to others, we receive everything in return”.

Since August 2024, over 300 companies have closed in a heavily industrialised area of Bangladesh, leaving tens of thousands of people out of work. ‘My wife and I used to earn a good salary. Now I drive a rickshaw and we've cut back on meals.’ Many have returned to their villages, but the depopulation also affects traders and homeowners. Entrepreneur: ‘The empty warehouses I saw in Italy are now in our country.’

Bangladesh will not participate in the Men's T20 World Cup, scheduled to start in India in February, citing concerns over players’ safety, a result of tensions between the two countries following former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's flight to India and attacks on Bangladesh’s Hindu minority. Dhaka unsuccessfully asked for matches to be moved to Sri Lanka. For Murel Gomes, a Catholic and a former captain of the Bangladesh women's national football team, “cricket should never be held hostage to political tensions.”

Christianity arrived in Kewachala only in the 1960s. Since the first mixed marriage and the first baptisms in 1977, the Catholic community has grown thanks to priests and nuns, in particular Fr. Dominic Sentu Rozario and Fr. Gianantonio Baio of PIME. On January 16, Mithun Mathias Ekka was ordained a priest, the fruit of the seed that was sown.

The deaths, in the Badarganj and Rangpur areas, are linked to the consumption of bootleg alcohol. The latest victim is alleged trafficker Zainul Abedin. In this Muslim-majority country, the existing ban encourages illegal trade. Investigations into the supply chain are ongoing.

Dedicated to Saint Francis, the church was built by PIME missionaries called to this area of ​​Bangladesh by some Santals who wanted to learn about the Gospel. The community, which now numbers some five thousand, led to the birth of other parishes. Bishop Tudu expressed gratitude for those who “planted the seed of Christian faith” in the area.

This is the alarm raised by activists from the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (Bhbcuc). At least 73 incidents triggered by accusations of religious offence. In addition to killings, there have been murders, rapes, arson attacks on places of worship, misappropriation of land and forced displacement. Ahead of the vote, the student party is allying itself with Islamic radicals.

Hadi, 32, founder of the Inqilab Moncho movement and one of the main players in the protest movement that ousted Sheikh Hasina, died in Singapore from a gunshot wound to the head. The suspect reportedly fled to India. Hundreds vandalised the offices of Prothom Alo and the Daily Star in Dhaka. For Muhammad Yunus, this was “an assault on independent media and democratic progress.”

The Anti-Terrorism Law was used against Anis Alamgir for remarks he made in the ongoing election campaign leading up to next February’s vote. In his defence in court, he said: "I question power, I have been doing it for two decades." Catholic journalists and human rights groups are concerned: “This looks like an attempt to suppress the voice of independent journalism.”

Drones and heavy weapons were used against the peacekeeping base in the Abyei region. Eight more soldiers were wounded. Rescue and medical operations are still underway. Guterres says the "alarming" attack might constitute a war crime. Bangladesh has been involved in peacekeeping missions since 1988, earning global recognition and an excellent reputation.