Bangladesh’s leading prelate said that “Christians are not being targeted by Islamic radicals” in post-election violence. Archbishop Patrick D’Rozario of Dhaka – who said that last week that he feared the rise of “militant and radical Islamism” – told the Fides news agency that “after the elections, there have been isolated incidents against Christians, but now the situation seems to have calmed down … It is not clear what is behind the attacks. They can also be reasons related to the possession of land or other reasons, related to disputes and ethnic conflicts.”
The nation’s leading opposition party and its allied Islamist parties boycotted recent elections.
Eight Catholics were injured, and three hospitalized, after they were beaten by Islamic fundamentalists for participating in the elections, and Christian homes were torched during the attack.