Bangladeshi Christians concerned about violence
-01/11/06
Church leaders in Bangladesh
Bangladeshi Christians concerned about violence
-01/11/06
Church leaders in Bangladesh have warned about widespread violent street battles between supporters of rival political groups over the formation of an interim government ahead of general elections – writes Anto Akkara for Ecumenical News International.
“We are really anguished over what is happening,” Elgin Saha, president of the National Council of Churches of Bangladesh (NCCB), told ENI on 30 October. “The violence has thrown life out of gear,” said Saha reacting to the violence. It has led to about 20 deaths and more than 3000 people being injured after supporters of the ruling coalition and of the opposition alliance engaged in street battles.
The violence erupted on 27 October 2006 after the opposition alliance of 14 parties and the government led by outgoing Prime Minister Khaleda Zia failed to agree on who should head an interim government to oversee a general election in early 2007.
For three days, rival gangs fought with stones, wooden logs and guns while the violent protests kept traffic off the roads and businesses closed across the Muslim-majority nation.
“Democracy has not developed fully here. This shows that our political parties are trying to prove their strength by muscle power,” lamented Sudhir Adhikari, a former president of the national church council.
Adhikari, a Baptist, told Ecumenical News International that the latest developments demonstrated that “life is very cheap for the political leaders who incite their cadres to attack each other”.
Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed announced on 29 October that he would head an interim government after the failure of the government and opposition parties to agree on a name.
However, there are fears that the president’s move could trigger further violence after the main opposition party, the Awami League, failed to attend his swearing-in.
Christians are a small minority in Bangladesh accounting for 0.4 per cent of its estimated 147 million people. About 83 per cent of the nation are Muslims while Hindus and Buddhists account for the rest of the population.
With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches.
Bangladeshi Christians concerned about violence
-01/11/06
Church leaders in Bangladesh have warned about widespread violent street battles between supporters of rival political groups over the formation of an interim government ahead of general elections – writes Anto Akkara for Ecumenical News International.
“We are really anguished over what is happening,” Elgin Saha, president of the National Council of Churches of Bangladesh (NCCB), told ENI on 30 October. “The violence has thrown life out of gear,” said Saha reacting to the violence. It has led to about 20 deaths and more than 3000 people being injured after supporters of the ruling coalition and of the opposition alliance engaged in street battles.
The violence erupted on 27 October 2006 after the opposition alliance of 14 parties and the government led by outgoing Prime Minister Khaleda Zia failed to agree on who should head an interim government to oversee a general election in early 2007.
For three days, rival gangs fought with stones, wooden logs and guns while the violent protests kept traffic off the roads and businesses closed across the Muslim-majority nation.
“Democracy has not developed fully here. This shows that our political parties are trying to prove their strength by muscle power,” lamented Sudhir Adhikari, a former president of the national church council.
Adhikari, a Baptist, told Ecumenical News International that the latest developments demonstrated that “life is very cheap for the political leaders who incite their cadres to attack each other”.
Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed announced on 29 October that he would head an interim government after the failure of the government and opposition parties to agree on a name.
However, there are fears that the president’s move could trigger further violence after the main opposition party, the Awami League, failed to attend his swearing-in.
Christians are a small minority in Bangladesh accounting for 0.4 per cent of its estimated 147 million people. About 83 per cent of the nation are Muslims while Hindus and Buddhists account for the rest of the population.
With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches.