December 25, 2002	Wednesday	Shawwal 20, 1423

DHAKA, Dec 24: The government has tightened security in churches across the country on Tuesday to enable the Christian community to celebrate the Christmas joyfully.

Armed police have been posted at more than two dozens of churches in capital Dhaka and similar steps have been taken elsewhere in the country.

The Christians constitute less than one per cent of Bangladesh’s 130 million population.

The special security measures have been taken in the backdrop of serial bomb blasts that killed 18 people in four cinemas in a northern district this month.

Meanwhile, a 15-member delegation of the country’s Christian community met the Home Affairs Minister, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, on Tuesday and sought his cooperation as regards adequate security in and around the churches during X-mas ceremonies.