Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Dacca (Fides) – The Christians of Bangladesh are a minority in the society of a majority Islamic nation. There are over 130 million Muslims, of a total national population of 150 million. Islam, which has been present 500 years ago there, plays a major role in social life, however it is not a political force. The rights of Hindus (13%), Buddhists (0.6%), Animists (1.1%), and Christians (0.3%, 311,000 of whom are Catholics) are all recognized by the law and there is a healthy religious tolerance.
Bangladesh is on the UN’s list of the world’s most underdeveloped countries, and is among the most densely populated on the planet (920 inhabitants/km sq.) The illiteracy rate is at 60% and the average income is 230 dollars. The unemployment rate is at 36%. Given the social-economic situation, Bangladesh depends greatly upon the development programs financed by foreign countries and international organizations.
Both in the past, as well as in the country’s current situation, it has been greatly affected by flooding and natural disasters that have disastrous effects on the agriculture, the country’s main source of livelihood, and on the farming community, which is 80% of the population. In order to improve living conditions in rural areas, the Grameen Bank was founded in 1976 in Bangladesh. It was the first ethical bank, founded on micro-credit. Muhammad Yunus, its founder, saw that granting small loans to farmers could help free them from their inhumane living conditions.
Faced with such a precarious economic and social situation, the Church has sent several services for human and social promotion, health and charitable assistance, and thus, are very widely-respected by the people. The Church is also very involved in the area of education, with 674 primary and secondary schools. There are also over 350 Church-run health institutions (hospitals, clinics, orphanages, houses for the disabled), thanks to religious congregations and Catholic associations.
The evangelization of the country dates back to the 16th century with Saint Francis Xavier. In 1600, the first Church was built and in 1601 was the first Mass. The current ecclesiastical districts are currently 6: Archdiocese of Dacca and the Diocese of Chittagong, Dinajpur, Khulna, Mymensingh, and Rajshahi. The clergy is young and the number of vocations to the priesthood and religious life are growing, which is a great sign of hope for the local Church. There are a total of 170 diocesan priests and 130 religious priests. The number of women religious is also growing. There are currently 915 in the entire country and some cloistered monasteries have recently been founded. The “great army of evangelization and human promotion” (catechists) are 1,421 and they carry out a service of spreading the faith and teaching catechesis in the smallest and most remote towns. Their work has been facilitated with the 1999 publication of the Bible in Bengali (98% of the population’s ethnic origin), thanks to the work of Fr. Carlo Rubi, OSB and the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in 2000.
Among the main challenges for the Church’s mission there, is the inculturation of the faith and basic formation. The Catholic community is young and the faith and Christian tradition must take root more in the life of the faithful. The Church is trying to strengthen the formation of the laity and their role in apostolate. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 10/6/2008)
