Dhaka: In a disturbing escalation of anti-Christian violence, a cathedral and a Catholic school in Bangladesh’s capital were struck by crude bomb attacks late on November 7, raising new concerns for the safety of religious minorities in the country.
The first explosion occurred outside St. Mary’s Cathedral, the heart of Catholic life in Dhaka, when an improvised device detonated near the church compound under the cover of night. Within hours, a similar attack targeted St. Joseph’s School and College, located about five kilometres away.
Authorities confirmed that no casualties were reported in either incident. Despite the late-night terror, resilience triumphed over fear nearly 500 faithful gathered for the 6:30 a.m. Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral the next morning, defying the attackers’ attempt to instill panic.
Brother Chandan Benedict Gomes, principal of St. Joseph’s and a member of the Holy Cross Brothers, said the assault had caused “anxiety” among students and staff but stressed that classes resumed as normal.
The attacks follow closely on the heels of a similar incident last month. On October 8, a bomb was thrown at Holy Rosary Church, Bangladesh’s oldest Catholic church, also located in Dhaka. Police later detained a man allegedly linked to the Awami League, one of the nation’s two main political parties, often accused by critics of tolerating Islamist sympathies.
No organization has yet claimed responsibility for the recent spate of bombings, but the incidents have underscored the fragile security situation facing Bangladesh’s Christian community.
The violence comes amid ongoing political instability that has gripped the nation since last year’s student-led demonstrations against a controversial public-sector job quota. The unrest, which evolved into the so-called “July Revolution,” claimed around 1,400 lives and ultimately forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee the country.
Since August 8, a caretaker administration led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus has been steering the country through a transitional phase, tasked with enacting reforms and organizing general elections scheduled for April 2026.
However, minority groups say the interim government has failed to ensure adequate protection for vulnerable religious communities. With repeated attacks on Catholic institutions and churches, the fear among Bangladesh’s Christians continues to deepen and the call for justice grows louder.