Dhaka (AsiaNews) - A week before the Christmas celebrations, Christians in Bangladesh are appealing to the authorities to strengthen security measures during masses and prayer meetings, to avoid violence or attacks as has happened in the past.
The festive season has always represented a moment of tension, as happened in 2016 when anti-terrorism forces foiled an attack against a Catholic church in Dhaka, planned for December 25th.
This year the climate will also be heated up by the general elections scheduled for 7 January 2024 and which represent a crucial stage for the future of the country.
The request for greater controls emerged during a coordination meeting held earlier this week at the headquarters of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), which was attended by Christian leaders.
Those present underlined the importance of guaranteeing a safe environment for the holidays, as confirmed by the Catholic leader Nirmol Rozario, president of the Christian Association of Bangladesh.
He spoke out for the community's concerns: “Political unrest has already begun. For this reason - he warns - we have asked the government for special security during Christmas "which is" our main religious holiday ". “We want to celebrate it – he concluded – without fear; we hope that the police will guarantee this."
With the main opposition movement, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which intends to abstain from the polls and has actively worked to boycott the vote, political tensions have intensified in recent times, fueling the concerns of Christians.
In response, DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman assured that stringent security measures will be implemented during the Christmas and New Year celebrations. “Uniformed and plainclothes police will be present,” he explained, “together with members of the intelligence agencies, metal detectors, dog squads and emergency services.”
The senior police officer also underlined that every area of the church will be able to benefit from electricity without risk of interruptions, there will be restrictions on street vendors in the area and a ban on carrying bags of any kind will be in place.
CCTV cameras will then be installed to monitor and protect the premises. Rahman urged the public to use the national emergency number, 999, for immediate assistance, stressing that calls will be promptly attended to.
The coordination meeting, attended by senior DMP officials, representatives of the Christian community, intelligence agencies and various service organizations, aimed to address specific security concerns raised by Christian leaders.
In light of the recent episodes of violence and arson that occurred during the political protests that preceded the general elections, with over 270 vehicles and 15 structures damaged, the need for greater controls in anticipation of the holidays is even more stringent.
A report by the Human Rights Support Society for the period January-November 2023 highlighted a surge in politically motivated violence, human rights violations and voting-related conflicts.
Finally, it should be noted that a substantial number of Christians align themselves with the ruling Bangladesh Awami League, creating concern that this affiliation could contribute to increasing the risk of attacks during the Christmas period.
