Dhaka, Bangladesh, Nov 12, 2025 /
18:31 pm
Several Catholic schools in Dhaka will close on Thursday amid fears of political violence as Bangladesh’s International Crime Tribunal prepares to announce a verdict date for ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
On Nov. 13, the International Crime Tribunal will announce the date of the first verdict in the ongoing case of crimes against humanity against Hasina, who was ousted in August 2024.
The political climate has become unstable, as the ousted Awami League called for a Dhaka blockade on social media Thursday.
In July 2024, a student-led uprising toppled Hasina’s government, and on Aug. 5, 2024, she fled to India. An interim government was subsequently formed under the leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. According to a United Nations report, around 1,400 people died during the July protests in 2024.
In the 11 days since the tribunal set a date for the announcement of the first verdict, at least 17 homemade bomb explosions have taken place in 15 locations, and nine vehicles have been set on fire, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sheikh Sajjat Ali.
“A group whose activities are banned and their associates are trying to carry out political activities from hiding, creating panic in the public,” Ali said.
Although the Bangladesh Catholic Education Board has not decided to close formal educational institutions or transition to online classes, some educational institution authorities have decided to close their institutions or switch to online classes.
Notre Dame University, the only Catholic Church-run university in Bangladesh, has announced that all examinations will be canceled on Thursday and that classes will be held online.
Notre Dame College, Bangladesh’s most prestigious college, has not closed its classes but has suspended all examinations.
St. Joseph’s International School will be closed on Thursday. A crude bomb explosion took place in front of the school on Nov. 8.
Some other educational institutions have also announced that classes will be closed or transitioned to online.
“We have not given any instructions on behalf of the Bangladesh Catholic Education Board Trust (BCEBT), but the authorities of the institutions have decided to close the educational institutions or take classes online, taking into account the safety of the students,” said Jyoti F. Gomes, secretary of BCEBT.
“No one knows what will happen in the political situation of the country tomorrow, so the safety of the students comes first,” Gomes told CNA.
According to the BCEBT, Christians operate one university, 18 colleges, 80 secondary schools, and nearly 1,000 primary and pre-primary schools, annually serving approximately 300,000 students, mostly Muslims, in the South Asian Muslim-majority nation.
Stephan Uttom Rozario is a journalist and photographer based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, who covers religion, human rights, minorities, the environment, politics, and other contemporary issues.
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