[2] James was born on 3 May 1955 at Haldibunia, Bagerhat district, Bangladesh.

He studied at St. Paul's High School (at Shelabunia), Notre Dame College, Dhaka, Holy Spirit Major Seminary (Dhaka).

After working as a pastor at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Khulna he went for higher studies in Canon Law at Urbaniana University in Rome, Italy, where he attained his Ph.D. degree in 1996.

He was appointed Bishop of Khulna on 4 May 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI.

He holds the chairs of Catholic Bishops’ Episcopal Commission for Catechetics and Biblical Apostolate alongside.