A Catholic bishop in Bangladesh has raised concerns over political exclusion, limited public understanding of constitutional reforms, and the resurgence of Islamist parties as the country prepares for general elections on Feb. 12.
“The elections are approaching, but there is not much enthusiasm in Bangladeshi society for the country’s future,” said Bishop Subroto Boniface Gomes, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Dhaka, in an interview with the Vatican’s Fides News Agency.
The elections were called by the interim government of Mohamed Yunus following a period of political transition after protests in August 2014 forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to leave the country.
Alongside the parliamentary polls, voters will also decide on a constitutional referendum seeking approval of amendments to the Constitution. Bishop Gomes said the process has raised serious concerns about inclusivity.
“The problem is that the vote will not be inclusive, since the Awami League, the former prime minister’s party, has been outlawed and has been unable to present its own lists of candidates,” he said. “This has generated widespread discontent among the population and also a feeling of injustice.”
He added that many citizens remain unclear about the implications of the referendum. “Furthermore,” he said, “the population has not fully understood, and is not aware of the effects and consequences of the constitutional referendum: a broader and more detailed explanation would have been necessary.”
If the referendum is approved, the bishop said the newly elected Parliament would serve as a Constituent Assembly and spend its first 180 days approving constitutional amendments.
Bishop Gomes also pointed to emerging political actors and shifting alliances, including “the presence of the student party that led the protests, new to the political scene,” and “the general resurgence of Islamist parties like Jamaat-e-Islami, which have resurfaced with their political agenda, undoubtedly detrimental to minorities such as women, tribal groups, and Hindu and Christian religious communities.”
“The student party,” he said, “initially declared itself staunchly democratic, but later forged alliances in several constituencies with representatives of Jamaat-e-Islami, which is cause for concern.”
In a country with a Muslim majority, where about 500,000 Catholics make up roughly 0.3% of the population, Bishop Gomes said Christian communities remain vulnerable.
“The situation of Christian communities remains very delicate: the resurgence of Islamist parties could create difficulties for us; therefore, in the last two years we have always defended the need to preserve pluralism and democracy,” he said.
“The Catholic Church,” he added, “does not participate directly in political activity, but has publicly stated, at all levels, that it promotes the dignity and freedom of every person, human rights and good governance, as well as values such as the common good, fraternity, justice, and peace for all citizens, without discrimination based on culture, ethnicity, or religion.”
