The statue of the Madonna lacrima among the Muslims

Thousands of people in the Bangladeshi port city of Chittagong are flocking to the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, where tears are said to have been seen on a statue of the Virgin Mary. Many of those who visit the church are Muslims, eager to see what some locals believe is a sign of the Virgin's dismay at the recent outbreak of violence in the country and elsewhere in the world.

Roman Catholic believers say it is the first time in Bangladesh that tears have been seen on a statue of the Virgin Mary.

In a country with a Muslim majority, it is unusual for a symbol of the Christian faith to attract a lot of interest. But so many people are gathering outside the Chittagong church that the police have been employed to ensure the maintenance of public order.

Muslim "inquisitors" line up to see the statue, even though the Koran warns believers against showing interest in religious idols. Roman Catholics in Chittagong say most people queue to see the statue because it is curious.

About 90% of Bangladesh's 130 million inhabitants are Muslim. In Chittagong, the country's second largest city, there are only about 8.000 Christians in a city of over four million people.

Many faithful argue that the cause of the Virgin Mary's tears are the recent outbreaks of violence in Bangladesh. They point out that she has had a lot to be angry about just in the last period.