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Church leaders in Bangladesh are advocating for Easter Sunday to be recognized as a public holiday. The United Church Council of Bangladesh, the Catholic bishops' conference, and Bangladesh's Christian Association have separately made this request to the interim government.
Archbishop Bejoy Nicephorus D’Cruze of Dhaka, president of the United Church Council, sent a letter on October 17 to the chief adviser of the interim government. In his letter, he highlighted that Easter Sunday marks “the triumph of Lord Jesus Christ over sin and death” and is a significant day for Christians. He noted that previous governments did not grant it holiday status despite repeated appeals, resulting in challenges for Christians who face academic exams and government recruitment activities on that day.
The recent change in government leadership came after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stepped down following a student uprising in August. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus now leads the interim government.
Christians make up approximately 0.3% of Bangladesh's population according to the 2022 national census by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. Despite their small numbers, they contribute significantly to education and healthcare services in the country.
The proposed list of public holidays for the upcoming year includes 12 days for Muslim celebrations and three days for Hindu festivals but does not include any Christian holidays. This omission has led to criticism on social media platforms.
Mark Desai expressed his frustration on Facebook: “We live in such an unfortunate country where we have to ask the state for permission for holy religious festivals with memorial letters, human chains, chest-splitting cries.” Desai argued that while all religious festivals are permitted by the constitution, lack of official leave prevents proper celebration.
Bishop Gervas Rozario of Rajshahi also called on the government to recognize Easter Sunday as a public holiday: “We naturally expect that this most important religious festival of Christians will be treated as a public holiday,” he stated in his letter.
The Bangladesh Christian Association issued a press release echoing these demands. President Nirmol Rozario emphasized their commitment to advocating for Christian rights in a predominantly Muslim nation.
Stephan Uttom Rozario reports from Dhaka for OSV News.
