Dhaka (AsiaNews) – For years, Catholic families in Uttara, a rapidly expanding suburb in northern Dhaka, had neither a church nor a Christian school nearby.
Parents were often forced to travel long distances to attend religious services and ensure their children received an education, while the area’s small Catholic community, numbering around 1,200 people, felt largely neglected.
The situation changed in 2017 when the then-Archbishop of Dhaka, Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario, invited the Salesians of Don Bosco to serve the area.
Under the guidance of Salesian missionary Father Francis Allencherry, the Don Bosco Catholic Mission was founded, providing the local community with a place for worship and gathering.
As the Catholic community grew, parents began asking for a school. In response to their request, the mission opened an elementary school within the parish building in 2022.
Four years later, that modest initiative has evolved into a modern, six-story educational facility.
The new school building, funded by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Italy (CEI), was inaugurated on 9 October by the Rector Major of the Salesians, Father Fabio Attard, and blessed by the Auxiliary Bishop of Dhaka, Subroto Boniface Gomes.
More than 200, mostly Muslim students
For many local Catholics, the new campus represents much more than just a building; it is a sign that their community has finally found a permanent home.
“There used to be no missionary school in Uttara,” said Titu Marak, a member of Bangladesh’s indigenous Garo community, who moved from Mymensingh and now lives in the capital. “My son is in second grade here. We are very happy to see the new school building.”
Rupa Gomes, a Catholic mother, also expressed similar pride. “No other school building in Uttara is as beautiful and modern as this one,” she said. “My daughter studies here, and I am truly impressed by the environment. We are grateful to the Salesian Fathers for providing quality education for our children.”
The school opened on 8 January 2022, with just 51 students in makeshift classrooms located in the basement of the parish building. Today, enrolment has reached 227, mostly Muslims, testament to the school’s growing reputation beyond the Catholic community.
School authorities plan to expand the institution up to the university level and, in the long term, accommodate more than a thousand students.
Young people: teaching us humanity and discipline
The students' enthusiasm extends beyond academics.
“At the Don Bosco School, the teachers don’t just teach us from textbooks. They teach us the value of time, discipline, honesty, humanity, and patriotism,” said Priyanta Halder, an eighth-grade student. “Furthermore, we have a wonderful library, and the teachers are very sincere and dedicated to their work.”
The Salesian educational tradition, rooted in the vision of Saint John Bosco (1815–1888), places great emphasis on character formation and the accompaniment of young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
During the inauguration ceremony, Bishop Gomes praised both the students and the school’s broader educational mission. He expressed admiration for the confidence shown by the students who spoke during the event, highlighting their command of both Bengali and English.
“I believe the students at this school will achieve great things in the future,” he stated.
The prelate also stressed the social value of education in a society characterised by religious pluralism.
“Places of worship are usually frequented by people of a specific faith,” he explained. “But in a school, students of different religions sit together at the same desks, wear the same uniforms, and receive the same education. The teachers here want every student to become a decent person and succeed in life. That is the beauty of education.”
From 19th-century Italy to modern-day Dhaka
In a message sent for the occasion, Archbishop Bejoy N. D’Cruze of Dhaka described the Salesian presence in Uttara as a blessing for a region that had long lacked Catholic pastoral and educational services.
“Their arrival in the Uttara area has truly been a great blessing,” he wrote. “This area, long neglected, is now receiving dedicated service in many different fields, particularly in the education of disadvantaged children.”
For Father Fabio Attard, the school represents the continuation of a mission that began with Don Bosco in 19th-century Italy and now extends to the crowded neighbourhoods of modern-day Dhaka.
“A Salesian school is much more than a place of academic learning,” he said. “It is a home where every young person is welcomed, a space where friendships are born, a community where values are shaped, and an environment where life is nourished with hope and joy.”
Referring to the school’s humble beginnings, he highlighted that the institution took its first steps with remarkable courage in makeshift basement classrooms, before enrolment numbers steadily increased.
“The generous support of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Italy has made it possible to turn this vision into reality,” he stated.
For many families in Uttara, that vision has become a visible sign of hope, capable of offering quality education and bringing together young people from diverse religious and social backgrounds into a single learning community.
