“Drive out the Christians from Bangladesh” – the hidden impact of the country’s ongoing crisis

As Bangladesh remains embroiled in crisis, the impact on religious minorities, including Christians, continues to be acute and often hidden. Open Doors local partners are working hard to reach vulnerable believers and here are some of their stories…

The political and social upheaval that’s engulfed Bangladesh in recent weeks has had devastating impact on religious minorities, including Christians, with criminals and extremists exploiting the unrest to attack them with impunity. The country is 26^th on the World Watch List, making it a place of very high persecution for many believers, and this crisis is severely adding to their vulnerability.

Houses and farms have been destroyed, possessions and livestock looted, and believers have been beaten, threatened with death and pressured to leave their homes altogether. Many of those not driven from their homes have not gone out, for fear of persecution.

• What’s happening in Bangladesh and why are Christians and other religious minorities being targeted?

“We are contacting believers everywhere in the country, though we have restriction of movement,” says a local partner in Bangladesh. “We are intentionally and actively contacting our partners, pastors, evangelists and local sources to inform us if they know or find any family who is persecuted. We are working to reach the persecuted immediately with food and emergency shelter so that they can survive amid this crisis.”

Here are some of the people they’ve managed to reach…

Salma helpless and heartbroken

Salma – who lives with her 75-year-old mother and 14-year-old daughter – is no stranger to persecution, having frequently encountered opposition since becoming a Christians 19 years ago.

On 5 August, the day when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned, her brother advised the three of them to flee for safety. Salma hesitated, reluctant to leave the home she had lovingly built over many years.

However, as midnight approached, a group of extremists approached her home, forcing Salma and her mother to hide in a nearby jungle, and leave her daughter with her brother. From their hiding place, Salma and her mother witnessed their worst fears come true.

The extremists broke down the main door and began looting, destroying the house and everything inside, including her daughter’s schoolbooks. For two long hours, Salma and her mother, helpless and frightened, prayed for God’s protection. The attackers finally left, having taken and ruined everything.

As they deal with the trauma of the attack, Salma’s mother has found comfort in Job’s story. “I heard about the story of Ayyub (Job),” she says. “He went through immense suffering and loss but remained steadfast in his trust in God. Maybe this is also a test in our life. Pray for us so that we can be faithful like him during this hard time in our lives.”

“I had everything but now I have nothing”

On the day of the Prime Minister’s resignation, Ranji Kisku was threatened by local Muslims, but he thought little of it. “I was warned by my relatives to go elsewhere because the Muslims might attack, but I ignored their warnings because I thought I did nothing wrong to them – I never hurt them nor spoke negatively or offensively of them, so I am not their enemy,” he says. “But I was wrong.”

“At 8pm, my friends informed me that a group of Muslims are heading to my home with local weapons and shouting slogans against Christians,” recalls Ranjit. “My door was locked, they broke into the house and demolished everything they found. They broke doors, windows, refrigerator, rice cooker, glasses, basins – everything they broke. I had 4,00,000 Tk (USD$ 3450) that I got loan for my fishery farm, but they took it. I had everything but now I have nothing.

“On 6 August, they took all the fishes from my pond. I was just watching helplessly but could not say anything. Neighbouring people were watching everything, but nobody stopped them. Now, I cannot go out of home for fear of further persecution.”

Safiq escapes death as home attacked

“Drive out the Christians from Bangladesh,” shouted a group of local Muslims as they attacked Safiq Biswas’s home whilst he was out working in a field. “This man is the head of the Christians in this area. He is converting people into Christians. He is luring innocent Muslims down the wrong path.

“He must leave this village! He does not have rights to stay here! This kind of culprit person should die!”

The group looted his home and broke fences. “They did whatever they wanted as there was no one to stop them,” says Safiq.

A couple of days after the attack, he visited his home. “I could not believe what I have seen,” he says. “They took revenge on me by attacking my house. I am lucky that during the time I was out of home. Otherwise, they could’ve killed me. My Lord protected me by sending me to the field. Now, my family members are staying in different relatives’ places.”

Brother Rafiqul forced into hiding

“Who will protect you now?” said Muslim villagers to Brother Rafiqul on 5 August. He and his family are among the most persecuted families in their area. “Your Minister (the former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina) has flown to India. She has been deposed.”

Immediately after leaving home for fear of an attack, a group of Muslim villagers came searching for him and asked his neighbours, “Where is Rafiqul and where he is hiding?” After leaving, the group shouted and said that he must not return home, otherwise he will face severe repercussions.  

Moktakim treads carefully to avoid attack

As the political crisis unfolded in Bangladesh, Moktakim expected persecution, having encountered persecution many times as an evangelist. So he took precautions, choosing to be careful with his words when he spoke to Muslims and limiting his movements.

“The Muslims in my village are very angry with me because they know I am a convert, and I have evangelised to many Muslims,” he says. “When I go to market for any urgent purpose, they mock me, insult me. They intentionally irritate me and look for a chance to quarrel so that they can attack me. But I do not heed their words. I just ignore them. This is the only way that has worked for me.”

So far, Moktakim’s approach has worked, leading to no added hostility, but the fear of attack remains.