আর্চবিশপ টি এ গাঙ্গুলী লাইব্রেরী

ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের  বিশ্ব ধর্ম ও সংস্কৃতি বিভাগে আর্চবিশপ টি. এ. গাঙ্গুলী লাইব্রেরী প্রতিষ্ঠা করা হয় ২০১৪ সনে।

Report by Sumon Corraya, and it was published in DC News on 29 August 2019

His another report on Fr Tapon

Fr. Tapan, a Catholic priest among the lecturers at Dhaka University

Q&A with Sr. Baptista Rema, treating snakebite victims in Bangladesh

 by Sumon Corraya

Sr. Baptista Rema, a Salesian Sister of Mary Immaculate, has spent the last 15 years saving the lives of snakebite victims in Baromari, Sherpur, a rural area near Bangladesh's northern border with India known for its venomous snakes. At Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Rema is in charge of treating an average of one to two snakebite cases daily — around 400 patients annually.

 

Her dedicated care has been a lifeline for many, with most of her patients coming from the local Muslim and Hindu communities.

 A unique feature of Rema's practice is her use of a black healing stone as part of a traditional method of treating snakebites. Her methods often combine traditional and modern approaches.

 The region struggles with high mortality rates. Limited awareness and hesitation to seek prompt medical care exacerbate the problem. Studies indicate that approximately 7,000 people die from snakebites in Bangladesh each year — fatalities that could often be avoided with timely administration of antivenin.

 In a recent conversation with Global Sisters Report, Rema discussed her work, the challenges of treating snakebites in rural Bangladesh, and the additional health care services offered by her team at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. Her story highlights the urgent need to raise awareness and improve access to life-saving treatment, while showcasing the blend of traditional and modern practices in her compassionate ministry.

 GSR: Can you tell us about your hospital's services?

 Rema: Our hospital was established in 1946 by martyr Sister Mary Immaculate, a French missionary who dedicated 26 years of her life to serving the people of Bangladesh. It is the first and only hospital in this region, providing essential medical care to thousands of [needy] people. Before the hospital was founded, many lives were tragically lost due to the lack of health care facilities, as recounted by our nuns.

 Sister Mary Immaculate gave her life during the Bangladesh Liberation War, dying on June 8, 1971. In recognition of her extraordinary sacrifice and service, the French government posthumously awarded her the Legion d'Honneur the same year.

The hospital was established with the mission to deliver quality health care to the needy people of this area. The community here — Christians, Muslims and Hindus — lives in harmony and mutual respect, free from conflict. Many impoverished residents cannot afford to travel to larger hospitals in Sherpur or Dhaka for better treatment. Our hospital serves as a beacon of hope for these individuals.

 We treat [various] ailments, including skin diseases, fevers, diabetes and snakebite cases. Mothers and children often seek our care, and pregnant women trust us for safe deliveries.

 Our treatment costs are minimal, covering only the basic expenses for food and medicines, ensuring that even the poorest can access quality health care. We are proud to continue Sister Mary Immaculate's legacy of compassionate service.

 Please tell us about the snakebite victims service in your hospital.

 Our hospital, located in the Baromari Parish of Sherpur near the Indian border, is in an area with mountains and forests, making it a habitat for many snakes. Unfortunately, snakebites are common here, with people often being bitten at night while they sleep, returning from the market after dark, or working in the farmland.

 We have been treating snakebite victims for many years, and our reputation has spread, bringing patients to us from near and far.

 When a patient arrives, we first assess the symptoms of the snakebite. Snakebites can cause pain, swelling, nausea and sweating, while severe cases may lead to breathing difficulties, paralysis or bleeding disorders. Immediate medical attention is crucial to prevent complications and save lives.

We see the highest number of snakebite cases between June and October, when the heat forces snakes out of their nests, increasing the risk of human encounters. Sadly, in the past three years, at least four people in our area have lost their lives to snakebites.

 Our treatment begins by cleaning the bite wound with alcohol and making a small incision with a blade. We also use a traditional remedy — a black stone brought from France. This stone, believed to draw venom from the wound, is applied directly to the bite site. While traditional remedies like the black stone are part of our treatment, modern medical care, including antivenin, is the most effective and scientifically proven way to treat snakebites.

 Recovery from a venomous snakebite can take anywhere from one week to a month, depending on the severity of the case. Once the patient has fully recovered, we discharge them.

 We remain committed to providing life-saving care and raising awareness to reduce fatalities caused by snakebites in our community.

What are the challenges of your ministry, and how do you overcome these?

 One of the biggest challenges is financial hardship among the people we serve. Most residents in our area earn less than 1,000 Bangladeshi taka [approximately US$8] per month. This makes it difficult for patients to pay the minimal medical costs we charge, which cover necessities like water, electricity and food.

 We aspire to modernize our hospital to provide better care, but our limited income prevents us from upgrading facilities and equipment.

 Another challenge is the perception among some that, as nuns, we have abundant resources and should provide free services. People often say, "You are sisters; you opened this hospital for charity. Why should we pay you?"

We explain the necessity of covering basic costs, but many still resist, leaving us in a difficult position.

 Despite these struggles, we persevere through faith, careful resource management and community support. We continue to advocate for the value of our services and educate people on the importance of sustaining the hospital for the benefit of all. Running the hospital remains challenging, but our mission to serve the needy motivates us to keep going.

 Please share some snakebite victim stories.

 After recovering from a snakebite, many patients express their heartfelt gratitude. They often say, "Sister, I thought I would die, but through your sincere care, I have been given a second chance at life. Almighty Allah healed me through your hands."

 Their thankful faces and eyes speak volumes, conveying emotions that words cannot fully capture. Seeing people who come to us in pain and despair leave with hope and joy fills my heart with happiness. Their respect and love remind us of the impact of our work and motivate us to continue serving.

 Would you like to share anything else?

 I completed my nursing training at Kumudini Nursing Institute and trained as a village doctor. Our hospital has 15 beds and a small team of four dedicated staff members. We charge an average of 2,000 taka [approximately US$16] for treatment, but many of our patients cannot afford this modest fee. Yet, we continue to provide care, trusting in God's providence.

 As a nun, I see my work as a way to share the love of Jesus Christ through compassionate care and good behavior. Our selfless service allows us to be witnesses of Christ in this community.

 I am from the Baluchora Parish in the Diocese of Mymensingh. From childhood, I felt a strong desire to serve the needy and neglected, and God has graciously granted me the opportunity to fulfill this calling. My consecrated life brings me immense joy, and I thank God every day for the beautiful life he has given me.

Source: GSR

Sister Marie Agnes' mission on the frontline against child trafficking

 by Sumon Corraya

The tools used by human traffickers are evolving from tourism to social media. The nun works through training courses, also in schools, involving teachers and headmasters and says new approaches are needed to meet the challenge. Yesterday the Pope's message on the day of prayer promoted by the Church.

Bangkok (AsiaNews) - From tourism to social media via the internet, the means used by exploiters to fuel human trafficking have multiplied in recent years. Fighting against human trafficking is the mission of Sister Marie Agnes Buasap, of the Hospital Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres, who since 1984 has been at the forefront of a widespread programme of prevention, information – aimed at young people as well as parents, teachers and educators – and recovery.

As coordinator of Talitha Kum Thailand, she has led meetings, seminars and training courses reaching at least 52,466 students in 35 schools, integrating awareness-raising against trafficking into the curriculum.

This fundamental work, also recalled yesterday by Pope Francis in his message for the Day of Prayer against this phenomenon, which the Church celebrates on the feast day of Saint Josephine Bakhita.

Its innovative strategies inspire educators to proactively combat trafficking, addressing its complex realities. ‘As an educator working within the school system,’ Sister Marie tells AsiaNews, ‘I work with the Congregation of St. Paul, which runs 24 schools throughout Thailand, including the border areas and the capital. We also work with 10 diocesan schools’.

The nun admits that, today, children and young people run greater risks in terms of human trafficking, especially those related to the use of social networks, which is one of the most important areas of Talitha Kum Thailand's work.

’We integrate anti-trafficking education into various subjects in the curriculum. We conduct training sessions in different schools to help teachers integrate this awareness into their teaching and activities. Each school also implements its own campaigns adapted to the context and guarantees children and young people access to support systems’.

Sister Marie Agnes Buasap shares some examples of her work, which help to raise awareness among children and adults. ‘Through our programmes in schools, we train teachers to integrate’ the subject ‘into their lessons. We also provide direct training to students and have been invited to share information with local community groups and young people from hill tribes,’ she explains.

‘During our training sessions, we often learn about and provide assistance to students and even teachers who have been victims of trafficking. In some cases, we work with our network to take legal action.’

And it is not uncommon for her to work with the guardians and parents themselves to help them understand the dynamics of trafficking and how to prevent it.

For the nun, modern technology, such as mobile phones and internet access, increases the risks for children and teenagers in Thailand, as in the rest of the world.

‘Social media,’ she explains, ‘represents a serious threat to children and teenagers. Although phones have become necessary for daily life and education, the same device can conceal dangers. Children are often bullied or groomed through these means, and this problem intensified during the great [Covid-19] pandemic, when children could not attend school and spent more time online’ with distance learning.

 Then there is the tourism issue, given that Thailand is one of the main destinations in Asia. The capital, Bangkok, and Pattaya in particular are among the most popular places and for this reason the nun hopes that stricter measures will be adopted to reduce sex trafficking in these areas.

 ‘As far as strict measures to reduce human trafficking are concerned, I believe that there are already sufficient regulations. What needs to be improved,’ she warns, ’is their application and a more serious implementation of sanctions, especially for crimes against children and young people.’

 Another factor is the training of teachers and school administrators, who sometimes seem not to recognise or underestimate the dangers associated with human trafficking or consider the issue only from a sexual point of view, connected to prostitution.

 To overcome the challenge, she emphasises, personalised dialogues and innovative approaches are also needed, motivating school management and teaching staff to integrate these crucial issues into their curricula without increasing the existing workload.

 ‘The winning resources are then shared throughout our network of schools, creating a valuable archive of teaching materials’.

 The scope of the mission of the nun and the institution she coordinates is also evident in the numbers: in at least 35 schools where the Talitha Kum team has conducted workshops ‘we have trained 87 religious workers and 3,095 teachers, [...] reaching 52,466 students.

 The response was positive, with several schools implementing activities suited to their context. We are still convinced,’ she adds, ’that the more children and young people we can protect from trafficking, the fewer victims we will have to rehabilitate (which is much more difficult).

 The congregation of the Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres was founded in France in 1696. The first nun arrived in Thailand in 1898, where today they are present in 11 dioceses. They began their mission at Saint Louis Hospital in Bangkok, followed seven years later by educational work at Assumption Convent School, which celebrates its 120th anniversary in 2025.

 ‘We run two hospitals: Saint Louis Hospital in Bangkok and Saint Mary's Hospital in Nakhon Ratchasima. We also run 24 schools, including four free schools, and we work in 10 diocesan schools. Finally, we run homes for the elderly and for children with HIV and we carry out awareness-raising activities in remote villages,’ she concludes.

Source:
AsiaNews

Jubilee opens in Dhaka: 'Hope among us all'

 

by Sumon Corraya

The celebration presided over by Archbishop Bejoy Nicephorus D'Cruze in St Mary's Cathedral. AsiaNews reports on the expectations for the Holy Year of the faithful of the country's small Catholic community: ‘A time to rediscover the call to be better people in the service of all’.

Dhaka (AsiaNews) - Hundreds of faithful gathered in St Mary's Cathedral in Dhaka to celebrate the beginning of the Jubilee Year 2025 ‘Pilgrims of Hope’.

The event was presided over by Archbishop Bejoy Nicephorus D'Cruze and Cardinal Patrick D'Rozario. The meeting was attended by bishops, priests and laity, all deeply inspired by the meaning of this Holy Year, which aims to instil hope and renewal among the faithful.

‘The Jubilee Year is a time to nourish hope in the midst of the challenges we face today,’ Diponkor Gomes, a participant from Tejgaon parish, told AsiaNews. ’In Bangladesh and the rest of the world, we are witnessing conflicts, wars and unrest. Many places are grappling with economic hardship and price increases that disrupt normal life. I hope and deeply believe that this Jubilee Year will be a blessing for us. As a disciple of Jesus in this special year I have a responsibility: I am called to be a better person, to embody the teachings of Jesus and to put them into practice in my daily life’.

Pallab D'Rozario, another participant and businessman, expressed gratitude and optimism. ‘It is a holy and meaningful time for us, I welcome it with joy. I hope this Holy Year will transform us and bring blessings: let everyone eliminate what is negative from their lives and embrace a path of conversion.’

In his homily, Archbishop of Dhaka Bejoy Nicephorus D'Cruze invited us to express ‘gratitude for the many blessings we have received in our lives’.

Reflecting on the challenges in society, he remarked: ‘In the streets we see bitterness and division between people. Pope Francis has called us to build friendships, to uphold dignity and to show tolerance towards one another’.

The archbishop encouraged the faithful to keep hope alive in this age of conflict, stressing that Christ has the power to transform lives. ‘Let us become people of hope,’ he concluded.

 ’Those who are hopeful can face challenges with resilience, in a mature manner and leading better lives. In this way we will realise that indeed Jesus walks with us’.

Source: AsiaNews