Bangladesh has its first indigenous Catholic woman in the Muslim-majority nation’s National Assembly, and she is hitting the ground running.
Anna Minj is a leader from the Oraon indigenous ethnic community and has served for over three decades in leadership roles at BRAC International, an entrepreneurial and solutions-focused nonprofit development organization.
Founded in Bangladesh in 1972 as a small relief outfit, BRAC International has grown into a major leader based in and led by people from the global south.
On May 27, the newly elected MP was felicitated at the Archbishop’s House of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Dhaka.
In remarks on the occasion, Archbishop Bejoy N. D. Cruze OMI of Dhaka expressed high hopes for Minj’s service.
“We have a lot of concerns and struggles for the indigenous people and Christians,” Cruze said.
“So, we hope that through you, both of these will be coordinated and you will represent us in the national parliament,” said the archbishop.
Cruze also noted how the small Christian population of Bangladesh is punching far above its weight in the country, providing a range of social services, often without institutional support and sometimes even in the face of resistance.
Caritas Bangladesh, schools and colleges, and other service works are active in the country, Cruze noted. “But,” he said, “you will see the obstacles that stand in our way of achieving our just rights so that we can serve the country.”
“Our hope is that the Christian community can develop further by holding your hand,” the prelate said.
Lay people in attendance at Archbishop’s House for the event echoed that reality and those hopes.
“Our Catholic Church does a lot of good work,” said Christopher Murmu, a 45-year-old Indigenous Catholic from the northern region, “but sometimes we are persecuted, and sometimes we are not allowed to do many things. So, I think Anna Minj will work with the government on these and bring us our rights.”
“Anna Minj is our pride and a beacon of hope,” Murmu said, adding his belief that “through her work, indigenous people will be able to achieve their rights.”
Out of the 350 seats in the National Assembly of Bangladesh, 300 seats were directly elected on February 12 and 50 seats are reserved for women. Of these 50 seats, Anna Minj was elected to the reserved women’s seat from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which formed the government.
In Muslim-majority Bangladesh, only one percent of the 180 million people belongs to various ethnic minorities and 99 percent are ethnic Bengalis.
Born in the Dinajpur diocese in northern Bangladesh, Anna Minj – an Oraon indigenous – was born into a Catholic family. During her career, she worked at management levels at Caritas Bangladesh and other relief and development operations including BRAC.
Her expertise spans poverty reduction, integrated and holistic development, livelihood security, women’s empowerment, ultra-poor graduation, gender equality mainstreaming, and Indigenous peoples’ rights across 14 countries, including Bangladesh.
“I was born and raised in a Catholic indigenous family, and studied in a missionary hostel. I use the teachings of the Fathers and Sisters of the Church and Catholic education in my work,” Minj said in remarks during the May 27 program.
“I do not preach religion separately, but I believe that I preach Christ through my work and life,” Minj said. “There are several problems with Catholic schools and indigenous people,” she also said. “Since I am their representative, I will represent Christians and indigenous people,” Minj said.
Minj also asked the bishops and the Christian faithful to pray for her so she can do her job well.