Bangladesh Catholics Raise Security Concerns after Church Bell Theft, Statue Desecration

Bangladesh’s Catholic community is voicing concern over the security of churches after two incidents involving church property and religious symbols occurred within weeks of each other, raising fresh questions about the protection of minority faith communities.

The latest incident took place on October 1 at St. Christina’s Catholic Church in Mohammadpur, Dhaka, near the headquarters of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh. Thieves stole a brass church bell weighing about 70 kilograms and valued at nearly 400,000 taka (US$3,300).

Police later recovered the bell abandoned beside a garbage bin on Zakir Hossain Road after launching a search operation. Investigators are reviewing footage from nearby establishments while continuing efforts to identify those responsible.

For parishioners, the theft was more than a property crime.

“We are worried about these incidents. We want security for the church,” Fr. Kajol Purification, parish priest of St. Christina’s, told RVA News.

The priest said the theft came just one day after another burglary on the church grounds, when water taps were stolen from restrooms. He expressed concern about the broader law-and-order situation but praised local police for their cooperation following the theft.

The recovered bell, imported from India, was rehung the day after it was found. The parish has since appointed a security guard, a safeguard that previously had not been considered necessary.

The incident also drew attention from civic leaders. Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, spokesperson for the National Citizen Party (NCP), visited the church and called the security of places of worship a national priority, urging authorities to quickly identify and prosecute those responsible.

The theft followed another troubling incident in southern Bangladesh.

On September 23, parishioners at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Chitalmari, Bagerhat, discovered that a statue of the Virgin Mary had been removed from its glass enclosure and thrown into a nearby pond.

Police later arrested a 35-year-old man, Md. Faizul Sheikh, and recovered the statue. According to investigators, the suspect initially claimed he believed a decorative mark on the statue contained gold, although authorities say further investigation is underway.

For local Catholics, however, the episode struck at the heart of their faith.

“I am deeply pained by the vandalism of the Mother Mary statue,” said Fr. Dominic Halder, parish priest of St. Peter’s Catholic Church. “Mother Mary is the mother of Jesus; we hold her in high religious reverence. I view this as an assault on religious freedom and demand punishment for those responsible.”

Church leaders welcomed the swift police response in both cases, but many Catholics say the incidents have heightened anxiety about the security of churches and religious symbols.

At the same time, local Muslim leaders in Bagerhat publicly condemned the desecration and reaffirmed the long-standing harmony between Christians and Muslims in the area.

For many Catholics, that solidarity has offered reassurance. Yet the back-to-back incidents have prompted renewed calls for stronger protection of places of worship, so that religious communities can continue to practice their faith in safety and peace.