Bangladesh’s small Christian community is in fear after three bomb attacks on churches and a Catholic school. Police reported on Sunday that these attacks, though causing no injuries, were intended to spread terror.
No group has yet claimed responsibility or explained the reason behind targeting the Christian community, which consists of about 500,000 people in a country of 170 million.
“We are investigating whether these incidents are linked or isolated, but they are certainly meant to instill fear,” said Dhaka police spokesperson Muhammad Talebur Rahman to AFP.
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Bangladesh has been politically unstable since a deadly uprising overthrew Sheikh Hasina’s autocratic government more than a year ago.
The attacks on Christian sites have heightened tensions as political parties prepare for the elections set for February 2026.
A churchgoer expressed feeling “uneasy” on Sunday.
“Many of us feel anxious when attending church,” said a 25-year-old university graduate who wished to remain anonymous.
The first attack occurred on October 8, targeting the historic Holy Rosary Catholic Church in the capital, established by the Portuguese in the 17th century.
On the night of the following Friday, two other Catholic sites — St Mary’s Cathedral and St Joseph’s School and College — were attacked.
Nirmal Rozario, president of the Bangladesh Christian Association, noted that despite a bomb exploding in front of St Mary’s Cathedral, around 500 people still attended worship the next day.
Rahman described how attackers approached the cathedral on a motorbike, “threw a bomb inside the school campus and fled.”
Brother Chandan Benedict Gomes, principal of St Joseph’s, acknowledged the “anxiety” caused but stated that “classes continued as usual.”
Interim leader Muhammad Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel laureate serving as chief adviser, has assured that elections will proceed in February as planned, despite ongoing violence.
Major parties launched their campaigns on November 5, which quickly turned violent, including a shooting at a rally for the influential Bangladesh National Party.
This month, Bangladesh police also offered cash rewards for the surrender of over 1,300 looted firearms from last year’s uprising.
