Twenty-five years after a deadly bombing tore through a packed church in Gopalganj district, Bangladesh's Catholic community gathered for special prayers on 3 June 2026, renewing demands for justice in one of the most devastating militant attacks ever carried out against the country's Christian minority. The case, according to community leaders, remains effectively unresolved.

The Attack and Its Toll

The bombing struck during Sunday Mass on 3 June 2001, killing 10 Catholics and injuring approximately 50 worshippers, the majority of them young people. The banned Islamist militant organisation Harkat-ul-Jihad (HuJI) claimed responsibility for the attack, according to reports. The assault came during a period of rising extremism in Bangladesh, when groups including HuJI and Jamaat-ul-Mujahidin Bangladesh (JMB) were targeting secular voices, cultural institutions, Sufi shrines, judicial officials, and state institutions.

A Case That Has Gone Nowhere

The investigation into the Gopalganj church bombing has remained at a standstill for a quarter-century, according to reports. Constant changes in investigating officers are said to have repeatedly disrupted progress, leaving the case in procedural limbo. In a statement marking the anniversary, the Bangladesh Christian Association (BCA), an interdenominational organisation, expressed grave concern over the prolonged delay in delivering justice to victims and their families.

BCA President Nirmol Rozario said the community had, over the years, held rallies, candlelight processions, and submitted memorandums to authorities — yet meaningful action has remained elusive. 'For 25 years we have been making the same demands for a proper investigation and justice, but nothing has happened. Unfortunately, it appears the matter has not received the importance it deserves, which is extremely disappointing,' Rozario was quoted as saying.

Survivors and Witnesses Speak

Roman Baroi, who witnessed the aftermath of the attack, recalled that the bombing left a devastating impact on many families because several of the victims were young men who served as the sole breadwinners of their households. 'All 10 of those killed were young, and most of them were the sole earners in their families. Their deaths left their families in severe hardship. Many are surviving through farming or temporary work,' he said.

Baroi added that the prolonged delay in the judicial process has eroded public confidence in the system. 'People have lost hope for justice, and the tragedy has left lifelong scars,' he said.

Father Mimmo Pietanza, a 72-year-old Italian missionary of the Society of St. Francis Xavier for Foreign Missions who was serving at the parish at the time of the bombing, described the attack as the 'most painful incident of his life.' He said he had persistently called on Bangladeshi authorities to conduct a fair investigation and ensure justice, but without any success.

A Pattern of Impunity

This comes amid broader concerns about the protection of religious minorities in Bangladesh. The Gopalganj bombing is not an isolated case — critics argue that delayed or stalled investigations into attacks on minority communities have become a pattern, undermining institutional credibility. The 25th anniversary marks not just a moment of remembrance, but a pointed indictment of a justice system that has yet to deliver accountability for one of its most documented failures. Whether the current administration will take fresh steps to revive the investigation remains to be seen.