Sumon Corraya

Youth from around the country travelled to Birishiri, Diocese of Mymensingh, for the gathering promoted by the Bishops' Conference in the Jubilee Year. Archbishop Bejoy N. D'Cruze of Dhaka urges youth “to be more actively engaged in the Church, making it more vibrant and beautiful.”

The 42-year-old nun, of the Associates of Mary Queen of Apostles, has been running the St George dispensary in Sherpur since 2009. She visits 40 patients a day, 90 per cent of whom are Muslim. Infertility and infections are the most common ailments. ‘We don't just offer treatment, but also dignity,’ she told AsiaNews. ‘If we all practised unconditional love, the world would be more beautiful and peaceful’.

Taslima Nasrin, a physician and activist, went into exile in 1994 after extremist groups made threats against her. The head of Bangladesh’s interim government Muhammad Yunus denounced the incident asking police to strengthen security measures. Tensions mounted on social media in the days leading up to the opening of the event.

The tools used by human traffickers are evolving from tourism to social media. The nun works through training courses, also in schools, involving teachers and headmasters and says new approaches are needed to meet the challenge. Yesterday the Pope's message on the day of prayer promoted by the Church.

Thousands of protesters stormed Mujibur Rahman's historic residence after a speech by his daughter to her supporters. The former prime minister then broadcast a second message, in which she accused the interim government of favouring Islamists and turning Bangladesh into a ‘land of terrorists’.

Medical director of the TLMI-Bangladesh Institute, Rozario has dedicated his life to leprosy patients for 12 years, inspired by the example of Jesus. Despite progress, the disease is still surrounded by stigma and superstition. Celebrating World Leprosy Day on 26 January, Bangladesh aims to eliminate leprosy by 2030.

People jailed for explosive possession were released on bail. After 16 years in prison, many accuse former Prime Minister Hasina and her government of unjustly jailing them. Children are anxious to see their imprisoned fathers. Many now demand a review of the original investigation.

At least 76 factories have closed, affecting women most of all. The depreciation of the taka, financial pressure, and a drop in international demand have had a major impact. Manufacturers call for subsidies and a cut in interest rates. Fazlul Haque, the former president of an important business association, says the country’s needs political stability to develop.

Under pressure from an Islamist group, the National Textbook Commission removed an image that referred to indigenous groups and symbolised the unity and diversity of the country. The accusation: ‘It evokes separatist ideas’. Tribal groups: ‘It goes against Yunus’ promise to build a non-sectarian and inclusive Bangladesh’.

The celebration presided over by Archbishop Bejoy Nicephorus D'Cruze in St Mary's Cathedral. AsiaNews reports on the expectations for the Holy Year of the faithful of the country's small Catholic community: ‘A time to rediscover the call to be better people in the service of all’.

The Ministry of Public Administration released an initial list of successful candidates, which was revised without explanation leaving out 99 applicants. Some had quit their job pending the official government announcement. Several Christians spoke to AsiaNews about the injustice they suffered.

The attack in a settlement in the Bandarban area, south-eastern Bangladesh, while the inhabitants had gone to a Christmas celebration in a church in a nearby village. They had been victims of extortion demands in the past weeks. The incident is part of a long-standing pattern of oppression against the indigenous hill communities in the three hill districts.