Flirting with the Past: Pope John Paul II Visits Bangladesh on Nov. 19, 1986

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It was 23 years ago today. Pope John Paul II visited Bangladesh on November 19, 1986. It seems as if only in recent past did we have his mesmerizing visit. His visit is still vivid in our memories.

I had the occasion of covering his visit to Dhaka photographically. It was quite a thrilling and awe-inspiring experience for me.

I present below some of the photos of the visit of this holy and personable pope. Please let me know your reaction to this historic visit.

Bangladesh President H. M. Ershad welcomes
Pope John Paul II at the Zia International Airport in Dhaka

President H. M. Ershad (left) introduces Pope John Paul II (right)
to international and Bangladeshi journalists at a press conference
in the VVIP room at the airport

The red-carpet welcome for the pope at the airport. Christians,
mostly Catholics, are waiting for the papal plane to arrive in Dhaka

Pope John Paul II ordains 19 Bangladeshi seminarians
to priesthood in the solemn Mass offered at the Ershad Army
Stadium in Dhaka Cantonment

Girls are offering the aroti (fire offering to God)
during the papal Mass

Pope John Paul II is offering the solemn Mass

Pope John Paul II is blessing the participants after the Mass

A section of the 50,000 participants in the papal Mass

The Pope is paying his tribute to the Jatiyo Smriti Shoudha
(National War Memorial) at Savar, a suburb of Dhaka

Pope John Paul II is praying at the National War Memorial

Pope John Paul II is writing his message on the
Celebrity Visitors' Book at the Jatiyo Smriti Shoudha
(National War Memorial) at Savar

Dancers demonstrating their respect for the Pope at the solemn
reception accorded to him on the grounds of the
Archbishop's House at Ramna, Dhaka
Photos (Dhaka: November 19, 1986) © Jerome D'Costa

Flirting with the Past: The 40th Anniversary of the Man on the Moon

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(L-R): U.S. astronauts of the Apollo 11 Mission: Neil Armstrong,
Michael Collins, and Edwin Aldrin

Before landing on the moon (below), astronauts are viewing
the earth-rise (above) over the lunar horizon

A crater (No. 308) of the moon as seen before their landing

Astronaut Edwin Aldrin in front of the U.S. flag planted on the moon

During their return trip from the moon, astronauts viewed
the earth as a crescent
Photos Courtesy: http://history.nasa.gov/

Man on the Moon: The Dream Fulfilled

It was July 20, 1969. The perennial dream of man to be on the moon was realized with the landing of two American astronauts on this day four decades ago. All the myths, folklores and fables, that developed in the imagination of man from time immemorial, came to a reality. Man himself was on the moon in real flesh and blood.

U.S. President John F. Kennedy, on May 25, 1961, had announced the goal of U.S. astronauts' landing on the moon before 1970. His aspiration was fulfilled when Neil Armstrong stepped out of the lunar module and set foot on the moon by saying: "That's one step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

The Apollo 11 mission to the moon consisted of Mission Commander Neil Alden Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin. They started their mission from the earth on July 16, 1969 and landed on the moon July 20. Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin were the first human beings to land on the moon, while Michael Collins orbited around the moon.

The Influence of the Moon on Mankind

Man was obsessed with the moon. His imagination gave free reign to develop myths, folklores, fables, literature, songs, and lullabies. So, the influence of the moon on mankind cannot be denied.

The moon also has a powerful influence on the water system of the earth. Tides and ebbs are the results of the gravitational pull of the moon.

Man also has water in his body. In fact, more than 90% of his body is water. The moon, therefore, has some effect on man -- more or less. Some get influenced by it more than others.

From experience man came to the understanding that some persons behave erratically or irrationally during the full moon phase. For this reason, the words like lunatic, moonstruck came into being. How much scientific basis is there we don't know, but this syndrome has been observed in almost in all cultures and they have coined particular terms for this condition in their languages.

The Skeptics of the Moon Landing

There are skeptics who still believe that the American astronauts' moon landing did not happen. They believe that the landing on the moon was a great hoax perpetrated by the American government with careful rehearsal in a desert in the U.S.A.!

These skeptics will always remain among us, as there are skeptics who believe that 9/11 was not caused by outsiders, rather the American government did it to start a war in Afghanistan. Similarly, there are expatriate Tamils who still believe that Tamil Tigers leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran was not killed, only his double was murdered by the Sri Lankan goverment. The existence of such skeptics is dependent on disbelief. They expend a lot of time, energy and even money in proving their points. Even if you take them to the moon, still they will say that it was only a dream!

I see the usefulness of having such skeptics in our society. They help us strive harder to prove our point, to reveal the truth more fully. They help us go farther. We will always remain backward if we just be gullible and listen to them and act according to their dictates.

Moon to Mars

Scientists are getting ready to colonize the moon and even to explore the Mars in future. Many of us may not be able to see it, but I strongly believe that a day will come when these new dreams and aspirations will come to fruition.

Flirting with the Past: Bombing in a Church in Bangladesh Kills 10 (June 3, 2001)

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(Top Row) The graves of 10 Catholics killed by a bomb blast
in a church at Baniarchor, Gopalganj District
Photo Courtesy: www.compassdirect.org/

It was eight years ago, June 3, 2001, the Pentecost Sunday. Catholics were participating in a Mass at the Most Holy Redeemer Church at Baniarchor, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) southwest of Dhaka city. Italian missionary Father Mimmo Pietanza, S.X. was the celebrant. Around 7:20 a.m. a powerful cellphone-controlled bomb exploded near the shelf where Bibles, prayer books and hymnals are kept for use by the faithful.

The blast killed 10 persons and injured 26 others. The eastern wall of the church was damaged heavily and splinters tore through the corrugated iron sheet roofing. The church was filled with smoke and Mass attendants ran out of the church.

According to the Pratibeshi, the national Catholic weekly of Bangladesh, those killed in the blast were: Amar Biswas (25), Binode Das (32), Jhintu Mondol (21), Jyotish Biswas (30), Michael Mollick (25), Monmoth Sikder (22), Peter Saha (30), Rodrigues Jetra (27), Shanjiban Baroi (28) and Sumon Halder (27).

A Handiwork of Radical Islamists

An eye-witness, Panna Lal, told the UCA News that an unknown young man entered the church when the Mass began and sat near the bookshelf with a bag in his hand. A little later he left the church. After his leaving, there was a 'cring, cring' sound (of a cellphone) and then the bag exploded.

Father Pietanza told the UCA News: "So many people come to visit the church every day, how could I suspect someone like this?" He also said: "I cannot tell who could do this damage when people are praying. We have no enemies." He suspected that Islamic fundamentalists might have been behind the bombing.

The UCA News reports that after an initial investigation, the army reported that the bomb was similar to the one that killed nine people at an April 14 (2001) Bengali New Year concert in Dhaka. They suggested that both the incidents might be the handiwork of an unidentified Islamic fundamentalist group.

Reactions

The then incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed her shock at the blast and sent her condolences to the Catholic community. She also ordered the army intelligence units to investigate the bombing incident immediately.

Khaleda Zia, the opposition leader, condemned the bombing and expressed her solidarity with the Christians.

Catholic Bishops and heads of Protestant Churches in Bangladesh sent a memorandum to the government requesting a thorough investigation and taking steps in removing the deep-rooted casuses of terrorism in Bangladesh.

The Christian Association of Bangladesh called for a protest meeting on June 4 at the Shaheed Minar (Language Martyrs' Memorial) in Dhaka.

Herbert Fernandes, President of the Catholic Association of Chittagong, comdemned the bombing as barbaric and appealed to Prime Minister Hasina to take immediate action in arresting the culprits.

There were many protest meetings and human chains both by Christians and non-Christians in different parts of the country.

The bomb blast report was published and broadcast all over the world and, from past experiences of bombing in the country, fingers were being pointed at the radical Islamists for this latest deadly incident.

A Lame Investigation

On February 18, 2002, the investigation commission of Justice Bari presented its report in which he tried to show that the inter-group struggles among Christians resulted in the bombing in the church.

The Christians of Bangladesh rejected this report. They are still expecting that the present government of Sheikh Hasina will take necessary steps in getting a thorough investigation done and finding out the real culprits behind the church bombing.

Flirting with the Past: Bangladesh Cyclone of May, 1985

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Map adapted from: http://www.pixup.com/lop/regions/baise_e.htm

This girl in Urir Char was grief-stricken
at the loss of her father in the cyclone
All photos (May 28, 1985) taken by Jerome D'Costa

Twelve-year old Jahanara lost her mother,
brother and sister in the tidal wave in Urir Char

Her eyes tell stories of pain brought about
by the cyclone in Sandwip Island

That's all left of a house after the 5-metre (16-feet)
high tidal waves swept over the Urir Char

No trace of the house that was once standing
at this place in Urir Char

Tha's all left of a house and belongings of this boy's family
in Urir Char

In Urir Char, these two small cyclone shelters
were the only standing structures. All other thatched houses
were washed away by the tidal bore

This cyclone, with tidal waves rising from three to five metres (about 10 to 16 feet) in the Bay of Bengal started in the midnight of May 24, 1985 and continued for about four hours. Today is the 24th anniversary of that dreadful cyclone that had 160 miles per hour wind and that killed more than 11,000 people in the offshore islands. The affected were Hatia, Urir Char and north-western part of Sandwip. One of the worst affected was Urir Char (char in Bangla means a piece of land that rises in a river or coastal area due to heavy silting) with about 20 square kilometres (about 12 sq. miles) area.

Simon Munshi, Ferdaus Daud Haider, Hubert Dores and I, on behalf of World Vision of Bangladesh -- an international NGO -- went to Urir Char on May 28, 1985 via Sandwip Island to asses the damage for relief and rehabilitation work. When we reached this island, it was under knee-deep water. Not a single house was standing except two small cyclone shelters in one corner of the island. Very few people took shelter in the cyclone shelters. They did not leave their houses for fear of losing their household items, food grains and domestic animals to thieves. Out of about 2,800 families in the island, only forty surviving persons were present in the island -- others were either drowned or washed away to the Bay of Bengal.

I had never witnessed such a destruction of human life, animals and property in my life.

We Remember: Mob-Attack on Catholic Church and School and Two Protestant Churches in Dhaka

The mob-attack on St. Francis Xavier's Girls' High School
at Luxmibazar, Dhaka, on April 28, 1998

(L-R): Attackers did not spare the statues of Virgin Mary (broken
hands) and St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint of the school
(broken head and torso)

Newspaper reports of the attack

Photos Courtesy: The Book Luxmibazarer Lojjajonok Ghotona
(Shameful Incident of Luxmibazar), 1998

It happened 11 years ago on Tuesday, April 28, 1998. It was a planned attack of Muslim fundamentalists on the Holy Cross Catholic Church and St. Francis Xavier's Girls' High School as well as on St. Thomas Anglican Church and Sadarghat Baptist Church. All these churches and the school are in the Luxmibazar area of old Dhaka.

Background

The issue was the question of ownership of a small piece of land in between St. Francis Xavier's Girls' High School and the Shahi Mosque. This land, with a small room, belonged to the nearby Catholic Church. Long ago it was used as a reading room for the public. Catholic religious books and publications were available there for non-Christians. Later, it was used as the office of the Pratibeshi, the monthly mouthpiece of the Catholic Archdiocese of Dhaka. Then it was used a sewing training centre of the Catholic Women's Association of Luxmibazar. Finally, for a good number of years, this room remained locked due to precarious condition of the old walls and roof of the room. From the purchase of this land by the church in 1876 until December, 1996, there was no claim of the adjacent mosque on this property.

As the Girls' school did not have a sufficient space for the waiting parents and guardians of girl students, the Sisters of the school, in cooperation of the church, decided to renovate and use the room for school purpose. On December 10, 1996, when the renovators went to work on the room, the Shahi Mosque committe members with some rowdies interfered with the renovation work and laid a claim on the property concerned. Later, in agreement of the School authority and the mosque committee, the Dhaka City Corporporation Estate Officer was engaged to check the ownership documents and measure the land. The Estate Officer, after a thorough scrutiny of the documents and measurement, gave his opinion in favour of the school. The Mosque committee was not satisfied at this and they even threatened to forcefully occupy the land.

As there was no agreement on the matter, ultimately the school authority filed a lawsuit on June 8, 1997. The court, on April 22, 1998, gave judgment in favour of the school and placed a temporary injunction on the mosque committee forbidding their interference in the renovation work of the room. Basing on this judgment, the school authority, in presence of some policemen, started renovation work around 10:00 a.m. on April 28, 1998 by cutting some trees that grew on the roof and walls. The President of the Mosque committee with some of his men, in front of the police, interfered in the renovation work and roughened up some of the labourers. When the school authority showed them the judgment of the court and other papers, the opponents left the place announcing: "Sister, you've already created the public sentiment. You have no idea as to how dangerous the public sentiment can be. Those, who got the news over the phone, have already begun their work." Then the renovation work also stopped.

After one-o'clock prayer in the mosque, there was an announcement from their mike (public address system): "Muslim Brothers of the locality, come forward. Jewish Christians are demolishing the mosque. Come to protect the mosque." This announcement was repeated for sometime.

After this call, agitated Muslims began to come in groups shouting slogans and assembled near the front gate of the school. Around five in the afternoon, they began to throw brickbats at the school gate. What happened then is now part of the history. The following press release of the Church leaders, given to the newspapers next day, gives a pen-picture of the attack.

Press Release

From: BANGLADESH CHRISTIAN CHURCH LEADERS

We, the leaders in the Christian community of Bangladesh, strongly condemn the unwarranted and scandalous attack on Christian church property in Luxmibazar on 28 April 1998. A large unruly crowd ransacked St. Francis Xavier Girls' High School, Holy Cross Church and nearby Baptist and St. Thomas churches. They threatened the lives of several priests, Sisters and staff workers. The damage to religious freedom and the mental anguish caused is immeasurable.

We recognize that this was not an attempt by the majority Muslim community to persecute Christians. Rather it was the motivated action of a group of people who are interested to destroy religious harmony in the country. We wish to express our appreciation to Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Rafiqul Islam, for attending the place of occurrence immediately after the incident. He assured us of his assistance and that of the government.

This was a deliberate attempt by a group of fundamentalists to arouse the religious sentiments of common people by making a false announcement over the loud speaker of the adjacent mosque. The announcement falsely claimed that the mosque was being dismantled. The instigators of this riot acted in total disregard for the judicial and legal system of Bangladesh.

On 28 April 1998 the St. Francis Xavier Girls' High School began renovating the vacant building and clearing the trees on their property adjacent to the Shahi Mosque. This area is not a mosque or holy area. It lies within the designated property of the school. This was not a sudden action. The school authorities have been stating their intention to do this work for some time. Police were present as they started the work. However, this proved to be of little value as the police failed to control the crowd. The crowd was initially obstructed by the police. But they broke through the police lines and rampaged through the school buildings and area, and church building. They caused extensive damage to property. They terrorized Sisters and residents of the girls' hostel. They were led by people who wished to attack the Christian institution for their selfish purposes.

The crowd was then instigated to attack the 200-year old St. Thomas church. They smashed windows of the church buildings and broke down the back wall of the church compound. They threatened the lives of the residents, who were forced to seek police protection.

Around 6:30 p.m. the crowd attacked the nearby Sadarghat Baptist church compound, smashing the gate to gain entrance. Entering the houses of the residents they smashed furniture and threatened the occupants. The destruction only ceased when a severe rain storm swept over the area.

We appeal to the government to strongly condemn this incident and to take action against the instigators. We further urge the government to initiate a full investigation by a High Court judge. The Christian churches have served the local and wider community for several hundred years. They enjoy close relationships with all the local community regardless of religion. This action by a few communally motivated persons was an attempt to destroy the peace of the area.

This incident has created fear in the locl Christian community and indeed in the total Christian community of the country. But the instigators are continuing to stir up trouble. They have called public meetings on 2 and 5 May, 1998. We urge the government to take immediate steps to protect the Christians and Christian property in the immediate and surrounding areas.

Finally, we ask all people to join us in prayer for peace, a just and reasonable settlement, and wisdom for the Government authorities.

--Fr. Benjamin Costa
Catholic Church of Bangladesh

--Mr. Samson Chowdhury
National Christian Fellowship of Bangladesh

--Mr. Albert A. Samaddar
Church of Bangladesh

--Mr. Susanta Adhikari
Bangladesh Baptist Sangha

--Mr. Dennis D. Datta
Bangladesh Baptist Fellowship

The cover of the book, Luxmibazarer Lojjajonok Ghotona(Shameful Incident of Luxmibazar), published in 1998.
This book documented the events from different angles
and compiled various newspaper clippings and photos
of the sad incident of April 28.

It may be noted that, although some government officials at the time had promised to officially investigate into the mob attack on the churches and school, it was never realized. Later the Catholic Church officials, however, in consideration of future communal peace and harmony in the locality, donated that piece of land to the mosque.