DHAKA (UCAN): Authorities in Dhaka, Bangladesh, deployed police after unidentified assailants hurled crude bombs at the gate of one of the country’s oldest and largest churches.
Four attackers on two motorcycles targeted the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Tejgaon, central Dhaka, on the evening of October 8, according to Faruk Mia, a security guard at the church.
Mia told journalists that white smoke engulfed the gate after the massive blast that shook the surrounding area. “I saw four people on two motorcycles fleeing the scene after the explosion,” he said.
Mobarak Hossain, officer in charge of Tejgaon police station, said that a four-member police team had been deployed to secure the church following the attack.
Father Joyanto S. Gomes, the parish priest, described the blast as “unprecedented” and said it has left the Christian community in fear.
“Police, armed forces, and a bomb disposal team inspected the area and defused two unexploded crude bombs,” he said.
He declined to speculate on the motive of the attackers but called for a thorough investigation.
The police have filed a case under the Terrorism Act 2009 and are investigating the incident. “We are reviewing CCTV footage and hope to identify the criminals and bring them to justice,” Hossain said.
Police, armed forces, and a bomb disposal team inspected the area and defused two unexploded crude bombs
Father Joyanto S. Gomes
Founded by Portuguese missionaries in 1677, the Holy Rosary Catholic Church—aalso known as Tejgaon Church—is one of the oldest Catholic institutions in the country.
Pope Francis visited the church during his 2017 trip to Bangladesh.
A parishioner and medical doctor, Edward Pallab Rozario, expressed concern over the targeting of a church in an area with many Catholic institutions and a sizable Christian population.
“Such an incident has instilled fear among local Catholics,” he said, noting that the country is experiencing heightened uncertainty ahead of the national election in February.
He urged the government to ensure the security of Christian institutions and maintain peaceful coexistence.
Bangladesh has witnessed political upheaval in recent months. A student-led uprising following a government crackdown on the anti-quota movement last July left at least 1,400 people dead and thousands injured. It culminated in the ouster of former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India on 5 August 2024.
Subsequent weeks saw lawlessness, rising criminal activity, and attacks on institutions of religious minorities.
Several Catholic schools also came under pressure as students demanded the resignation of teachers, who they thought were supportive of the deposed regime.
