Hundreds of Christians, including students, took to the streets on October 21, to protest the construction of a permanent garbage depot in front of De Mazenod Church and St. Eugene’s School in Baridhara, Dhaka’s diplomatic zone.
The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) recently began dumping household waste in front of the church, prompting outrage from the local Christian community. For the past 20 days, garbage has been regularly deposited on the street, disrupting school activities and religious services. Although initial protests led to a temporary reduction in dumping, construction of a permanent waste facility has since accelerated.
“When they started dumping garbage, the stench was so unbearable that I had to shut all doors and windows during class,” said Father Pinto Luis Costa, OMI, headmaster of St. Eugene’s School. “We formed a human chain in protest, but instead of stopping, they began building a permanent depot.”
On October 14, church leaders sent a formal letter to DNCC requesting an immediate halt to the construction. The letter, signed by Father Subash Gomes, director of De Mazenod Church, and Father Costa, emphasized the spiritual and environmental impact of the depot. “De Mazenod Church is a sacred place of worship. Hundreds gather here every Sunday, including foreign Christians. The stench and pollution will make it impossible to pray or conduct services,” the letter stated.
Despite the appeal, the number of workers at the site increased from 10 to 40, with no response from DNCC. Copies of the letter were also sent to Archbishop Bejoy N. D’Cruze, OMI, and the Apostolic Nuncio to Bangladesh, Kevin S. Randell.
The letter also warned of the broader impact on the community: “Residents near the church and school will be unable to live normal lives due to the foul smell and environmental degradation. We urge authorities to relocate the depot to a more suitable location.”
Local Catholic Marcel D’Costa echoed the sentiment: “This is a serious threat to public health and dignity. We strongly protest and demand the immediate cessation of this harmful project.”
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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