A tragic homicide and a controversial examination scheduling have raised critical considerations about security and non secular freedom for Bangladesh’s Christian minority.
Piyas Majumder, a 22-year-old Christian youth, was brutally killed on March 11, 2025, throughout a house theft in Kushla village, Kotalipara, Gopalganj. The incident has despatched shockwaves by way of the native Christian neighborhood and highlighted rising safety points within the nation.
A Devastating Loss
In line with native studies, the criminals broke into the house of Paul Majumder Khokon, a dentist, and his spouse Anita Vaidya, a nurse, whereas they had been at work. Upon returning house, the mother and father found their son tied up and lifeless. Neighbours who rushed to assist took Piyas to the Kotalipara Upazila Well being Complicated, the place docs pronounced him lifeless.
Salman Majumder, a neighbour, confirmed the horrific scene: “We heard Paul Majumder Khokon’s screams and rushed in. We discovered Piyas tied up and instantly despatched him to the hospital. The complete home was ransacked.”
Native police officer Md Abul Kalam Azad said that the physique was despatched to Gopalganj Morgue for post-mortem, promising a radical investigation.
The homicide happens towards a backdrop of accelerating violence. In line with human rights teams, 119 individuals have been killed by gang violence within the seven months because the present authorities got here to energy. In January and February alone, 96 girls and kids had been raped, and 16 individuals misplaced their lives attributable to political violence.
Police statistics reveal a stark enhance in killings, with 294 individuals murdered in January 2025, in comparison with 231 in January 2024.
Protests have erupted at instructional establishments in varied cities, together with Dhaka, with individuals demanding stronger regulation enforcement. Some have even referred to as for the resignation of the interim authorities’s Dwelling Affairs Advisor.
Rising Considerations for Minorities
The Federation of Protestant Church buildings in Bangladesh, which represents over a million Christian believers, has expressed deep misery. In a press launch, the organisation highlighted not simply this homicide, however a sample of harassment towards Christians.
Fr Liton Gomes, a parish priest in Gouronodi, powerfully condemned the killing: “The homicide of Christian youth Piyas Majumder is heartbreaking. I lengthen my deepest condolences to the sufferer’s household and strongly demand justice and exemplary punishment for the criminals,” quoted media.
Including to the neighborhood’s misery is a contentious difficulty surrounding the upcoming Secondary Faculty Certificates (SSC) examination. The examination’s arithmetic paper is scheduled for 20 April 2025 – Easter Sunday, a major spiritual competition for Christians worldwide.
The Federation of Protestant Church buildings has urgently requested the federal government to reschedule the examination, emphasising the day’s spiritual significance and the necessity to respect Christian college students’ spiritual freedom.
“We have now confidence within the management of the Honorable Chief Adviser, Schooling Adviser and Adviser for Dwelling Affairs,” learn the press launch undersigned by Bishop Philip P. Adhikary, Chairman of the Federation of Protestant Church buildings in Bangladesh. “We kindly request your consideration for the exemplary punishment of the recognized felony and the rescheduling of the examination date on Easter Sunday to make sure the spiritual freedom of Christians within the nation,” the press launch additional said.
As Bangladesh grapples with these challenges, the Christian neighborhood continues to hunt justice and safety, hoping for significant motion from the authorities.
