The death of Mohammad Kamrul Bhai, a young immigrant from Bangladesh, shocked the Madeiran community. The worker was at a construction site in the Ajuda area when he was hit by bags of cement and died on Tuesday.
The identification of the deceased victim came through the Islamic Cultural Center of Madeira, which shared Mohammad Bhai’s image on social media, reporting the incident. The day of the accident was also the young man’s first day of work, having come to the region in search of better living conditions.
In the same publication, the Islamic Cultural Center of Madeira highlighted the urgent need for a small burial space in the region, considering the growth of the Islamic community and the high costs of transporting remains to their countries of origin. Social media was flooded with comments on the subject, with many questioning whether Catholic churches and cemeteries also existed in countries like Bangladesh.
Albuquerque has already made it clear that building a cemetery is not high priority at the moment.
Bangladesh is a country in South Asia, considered one of the most densely populated nations. It only officially became Bangladesh in 1971; before that, it was known as East Pakistan. Democracy was only restored in 1990, after 15 years of military rule. However, the political landscape remains very volatile, and although living conditions have improved slightly, poverty is a reality in virtually every home.
Therefore, many citizens choose to leave the country in search of better living conditions, especially men, so that they can send money back to their families.
Research on the presence of the Catholic community in Bangladesh easily confirms its existence. A news report from December 2017 indicates that in Dhaka, the capital city, there is a parish cemetery where many religious figures are buried.
Back in 1677, Christian missionaries built the Church of the Holy Rosary, which was later renamed the Chapel of Perpetual Adoration, and it still exists today. In fact, when Pope Francis visited Bangladesh, he prayed there and was welcomed by the Bishop of Dinajpur, Bishop Sebastian Tudu, the Superior General, and the local Superior of the Institute that runs the adjacent orphanage.
More recently, in November of last year, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Cardinal Michael Czerny, was received by Caritas Bangladesh, where he celebrated Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Dhaka. This is considered the national Catholic church in Dhaka.
According to Ecclesia, the Diocese of Sylhet has a population of 10 million people – a territory very similar in size to Portugal – and of that demographic, nearly 20,000 people are Catholic. The church has been building schools, a hospital, and two clinics, which has led to greater openness among the Hindu population.