Bangladesh (AsiaNews) - Christians in Bangladesh are expressing their disappointment at the decision to hold general elections on December 23, two days before Christmas. The final date was announced last night by KM Nurul Huda, head of the Electoral Commission, with a speech on televisions and radio channels. Last week a Christian delegation met with the commissioner precisely to ask that the votes not be fixed in the Advent period, to allow all the families to meet and celebrate the birth of Christ.
David Rozario, a Catholic, wrote on Facebook that he was "shocked. Christians are very busy at that time. They return to their villages of origin, visit relatives and friends ". Fr. Sushanto D'Costa urges: "The Electoral Commission has no respect for other religions [other than Islam, majority religion - ed.]". Probir Mondol, video operator for a national TV, complains: "Those who work in the media will never have holidays for Christmas. I am very sad ".
With a total population of around 170 million, over 104 million have the right to vote. They are called to choose the 300 members of the Parliament. To oversee the security of the elections, 600 thousand agents will be deployed throughout the country. The problem of tensions during the election period is another aspect highlighted by Christians, who fear they cannot celebrate Christmas in an atmosphere of joy. Despite this, Hemanto Corraya, Secretary General of Bangladesh Christian Association, says: "I am sure we will celebrate both events".
