ASIA/BANGLADESH – Bishop Gomes on the parliamentary elections: “Bangladeshi Christians have great hope for a future of stability and peace”

Dhaka – “We were positively impressed that the elections were completely peaceful. There were no casualties and no violence in connection with the elections: This is unprecedented in the history of Bangladesh. The general atmosphere was very good, characterized by great enthusiasm,” said Msgr. Subroto Boniface Gomes, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Dhaka, commenting on the parliamentary elections of February 12 to Fides. “We saw impressive security measures and soldiers guarding the area and the polling stations. People were able to exercise their democratic right to vote in peace,” the bishop noted. The election resulted in a victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party : “As far as I can tell,” said Bishop Gomes, “this is a party generally appreciated by Bangladesh’s minorities for its moderate stance towards Islamist parties. I observe that Bangladeshi Christians, by and large, are satisfied with the BNP’s history and have high hopes for the future.” The BNP leader, Tarique Rahman, has called for a nationwide day of prayer in Bangladesh today, February 13. “We understood this call as a very important sign: it means bringing public life back to a spiritual level. We hope that the BNP leader, who has lived in England for 17 years, can bring something good back to our country from this experience. He has made it clear that the nation needs peace and stability and that we all have to work together for it. As Christians, we share this approach,” said the auxiliary bishop. The election commission announced that voter turnout was 60%. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party won a majority in the country’s first elections since student protests in August 2024 ended the 15-year rule of exiled politician Sheikh Hasina. Hasina’s party, the Awami League, was barred from participating in these elections. According to preliminary results, the BNP won over 212 of the 300 seats in parliament, a majority of more than two-thirds, while the coalition of Islamist groups led by Jamaat-e-Islami is expected to win around 76 seats. The BNP is led by Tarique Rahman, 60, who returned to Bangladesh after 17 years in exile in the UK. He is the son of three-time Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who died on December 30. Rahman will lead the new government as Prime Minister. Bangladeshi voters overwhelmingly approved several institutional reforms in a referendum aimed at preventing the return of an authoritarian regime. Father Peter Chanel Gomes, a priest in Dhaka and National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the country, told Fides: “The election has shown that democracy in Bangladesh is alive and strong. For many citizens, these elections were a relief in the face of corruption, unrest, and insecurity. People voted freely and safely. The election day, marked by freedom and optimism, demonstrated that the people can truly contribute to the future of the country when given the opportunity.”

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