Bejoy Nicephorus D’Cruze

Bejoy Nicephorus D'Cruze O.M.I. (born 9 February 1956) is a Bangladeshi prelate of the Catholic Church who has been archbishop of Dhaka since 2020. He is the highest ranking prelate & the current head of the Catholic Church in Bangladesh. Additionally, he helds the honorary president of United Forum of Churches Bangladesh. He held positions of responsibility in his order, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, before serving as bishop of Khulna from 2005 to 2011 and bishop of Sylhet from 2011 to 2020.

Early years Bejoy Nicephorus D'Cruze was born on 9 February 1956 in the village of Tuital, in the sub-district of Chapai Nawabganj Sadar in northwestern Bangladesh. As a child he attended the local Holy Spirit Church, a non-denominational religious center with Christian origins. After completing his primary and secondary studies, he enrolled in the major seminary of Dhaka to study in philosophy and theology. On 1 November 1986, he took his solemn vows as a member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He was ordained a priest on 20 February 1987. He received his episcopal consecration on 6 May in front of the cathedral of St. Joseph in Khulna from Michael Atul D'Rozario, Bishop emeritus Khulna, with co-consecrators Michael Rozario, Archbishop of Dhaka, and Archbishop Paul Tschang In-Nam, apostolic nuncio to Bangladesh. He said the diocese was well established, with 61 schools and four hospitals, but looked to the government for protection from Islamic extremists. The fact that the Catholics of the diocese were ethnic Bengalis removed one possible source of friction, and relations between religious group were respectful.

He participated in the 2008 Synod of Bishops on the Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church. He described the challenges of poverty and government corruption in Bangladesh and said that "the church has to live its solidarity with the poor".

Bishop of Sylhet On 8 July 2011, Pope Benedict XVI erected the Diocese of Sylhet on territory taken from the Archdiocese of Dhaka and appointed him its first bishop. He took possession of the diocese in the Pro-Cathedral of Lokhipur, 100 km from Sylhet, on 30 September. He visited his congregations by bus while the church had no building of its own. He planned a church building for multiple uses and planned to make it available to other Christian denominations. There had been little opposition to its construction. He had once received a death threat without consequences.

He was treasurer of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh (CBCB) for several years before being elected its general secretary on 15 August 2020. He was also president of its Commission for Christian Unity and Interreligious Dialogue.

Archbishop of Dhaka On 30 September 2020, Pope Francis appointed him archbishop of Dhaka. He was the first Oblate named to the position.

In December 2020 he was elected president of the CBCB (Catholic Bishops Conference of Bangladesh).