Bosnia and Herzegovina mourns philanthropist Husein Smajić, builder of Bugojno Catholic church

Husein Smajić, a Bosnian businessman and noted humanist, has died. He became widely known after donating part of his estate to construct a new Catholic church in Bugojno, a site where remains of a centuries‑old Franciscan church were uncovered during plans for a private power plant.

The project, blessed by Cardinal Vinko Puljić in 2022, was presented as a symbol of peace, coexistence and communal solidarity in a country still marked by ethnic divisions. Smajić was honoured as "Person of the Year" in Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Večernjakov pečat award. His death is being described as a loss of one of the few individuals who demonstrated that bridges between peoples are built through deeds, not rhetoric.