Christians and Muslims in Bangladesh united in prayer for rain amid an intensifying heat wave that hit the south Asian country.
A report on AsiaNews noted that several cities in the country have been recording the highest temperatures in the last 60 years. The capital Dhaka last week reported a temperature of 40.6 degrees Celsius while the city of Ishwardi reported almost 43 degrees.
According to official government data, Dhaka’s average maximum temperatures rose 4.3 percent week on week and were 12.5 percent higher than the same period last year. The highest temperature ever recorded in Bangladesh, in Rajshahi in 1975, was 45 degrees.
“God give us rain, give us water, give us shade. The sky is torn apart and the earth breaks apart,” read the text of the traditional song Christians in Dharenda parish of St. Joseph’s Church in Dhaka sang on April 19.
Women visited homes and sprinkled water on people.
“We women and children asked God for rain with tears. Now nature has become rough and dry. We humans, birds, animals, trees, everyone is suffering a lot from the heat wave,” they sang.
Lovely Gomes, a teacher who led the prayers, said they want the rain “to come soon.”
“We humans can drink water if we are thirsty, but the birds are not getting water and many of them are dying. Our sincere prayer to God is that he give us rain so that we can all continue to live,” said Gomes.
Muslims in the Tejgaon area of Dhaka also prayed for rain
“When it hasn’t rained for a long time, God says to ask for rain through prayer, so we all asked for it together,” said ‘Imam Al-Amin of the local mosque.
“In summer the situation is suffocating. The temperature has been steadily rising for several days. May Allah protect us,” he said.
Bangladesh is being dramatically impacted by climate change, enduring devastating flooding and ever-more erratic rainfall. – with a report from AsiaNews
