Faith under fire in Bangladesh

Believers across Bangladesh continue to face intense pressure to give up their faith. These stories reveal only a small part of what our brothers and sisters are experiencing as they count the cost for Jesus. Please continue to intercede for them.

For believers in Bangladesh, persecution is not concentrated in one area but experienced in different ways across the regions. Pressure, discrimination, threats and violence continue to be the norm, whether arising from large groups or individuals. These stories give a window into the daily life Christians in Bangladesh experience. 

Youth centre forced to halt activities 

Since the elections in February, Islamic political groups have been growing in influence and power in areas where they have secured office – in such areas, numerous Christians are facing greater pressures to cease activities and revoke their faith. 

A Christian-run youth skill development centre in south western Bangladesh has been forced to discontinue its activities because of intimidation from a local Islamic political group. The centre seeks to educate and train young people, giving them a community where they might otherwise fall into drugs or alcohol abuse. Faith is no requirement – all are welcome and can develop skills like driving and farming to aid their financial independence. 

Earlier this year, the centre was approached by a local political group demanding that the centre be shut down – unless the manager paid to stay. With no confidence in the police due to current insecurities in the system of law, the manager agreed. 

Despite their acceptance of such demands, the group returned just a week ago, greater in number and aggression, and demanding more money or the closure of the centre. The manager and his wife, Sathy*, were deeply shaken by the incident. 

“At least 25-30 people came and they were very angry,” Sathy remembers. “They were shouting and saying that no Christian activity can run here without their permission. I also run a women’s discipleship class here, and all the women in my class are now in fear. I have stopped the class since the incident, and I do not know when I will be able to start again.” 

Sathy and her husband remain at home, too afraid to leave. The future of the centre is uncertain, and aid from police unlikely. 

“Please pray for me, my husband and my two sons, that God will ensure our safety,” Sathy asks. 

Women’s discipleship classes halted 

To the north of central Bangladesh lives Bokul*, a 50-year-old Christian woman who has been running women’s discipleship classes for believers in her community. But it hasn’t come without resistance. 

Recently, some Muslim locals accused Bokul of converting women for money – the same happened earlier in the year, but this time the group brought village guardians and influential local Islamic leaders. In the face of her accusers, the Holy Spirit guided Bokul to declare to those attending the class, “Now I will give one lakh (equal to less than £1) to anyone who wants to convert to Christianity; how many of you will convert?” 

The class was silent. 

“Since no one is responding,” Bokul continued to her persecutors, “you can understand that people do not come to Jesus for money, and I have not forced anyone to join.” 

At Bokul’s boldness, the group could not prove their accusations. However, they forbade her from continuing her class. Bokul and three widows from the class continue to face pressures and discrimination, and some of them confine themselves to their homes because of fear. 

“Please pray for them, that God may intervene in this situation and ensure justice for them,” Bokul asks. “Also pray that we can resume our class as soon as possible.” 

Open Doors local partners are supporting attendees of the class who are facing persecution. With a total of 28 other discipleship classes taking place in areas across Bangladesh, your prayers are essential. 

“We humbly request prayer for God’s protection over each of these classes,” a local partner says. 

A family stands before a mob 

In south western Bangladesh, a family of Muslim-background believers suffered the anger of a mob for following Christian practice when burying a loved one. 

Since the conversion of Kulsum and her family years ago, they have faced pressure from their Muslim-majority community – tensions that reached breaking point when the family buried Kulsum’s father-in-law, rejecting their neighbours’ demands for money if they wanted to carry out the burial according to Christian traditions. That night, a mob of more than 200 people arrived at the family home and forced themselves in.  

The home was searched and the family harshly interrogated. Under growing pressures, Kanon, Kulsum’s son, struggled to answer the mob’s demands. 

“I was continuously praying that the Holy Spirit would guide my son in what to say,” Kulsum remembers. “They were not asking me anything; all the questions were directed at him. Some even tried to beat him, and I could do nothing but pray.” 

The crowds demanded to know why Kanon, a government worker, had converted to Christianity. He testified, trembling, “I know that only through Jesus we receive salvation, and without Him we cannot be saved.” 

Once the family Bibles had been found, the mob accused the family of using them to convert others to Christianity and continued to interrogate Kanon. The shouts of the crowds for Kanon to renounce his faith grew and grew – until, under extreme pressure and fear, he renounced his faith. 

Since the traumatising incident, the family remain fearful of further attacks and intrusion. Kanon has left the area and worries about returning to his workplace.  

Despite all that the family faces, Kulsum still sees the hand of God in it. “I would like to praise the Lord that, through this incident, many people in the district and even across Bangladesh have heard the name of Jesus Christ,” she says. “Please pray for my son, that the Holy Spirit will give him the answers he could not give at that time, and also pray for his safety, as only the Lord can protect us.” 

Attacked for proclaiming the gospel 

In central Bangladesh, Pastor Kashem* was brutally attacked by four Islamist extremists because of his bold witness. Kashem has lived and served in the area for over ten years, sharing the gospel with numerous unreached groups. However, his joyful testimony drew unwanted attention. 

On 16 May, Kashem was returning home when he was confronted and beaten almost to death by four men. “They kept beating me with sticks and warned me, ‘If you continue preaching Christianity or sharing the gospel, we will not spare you next time,’” Kashem recalls. 

The attack was so merciless that, had locals not seen Kashem or helped him, he might not have survived. As onlookers came to Kashem’s rescue, his attackers fled and the pastor was rushed to hospital. 

“The only reason they attacked me is because I share the good news among the unreached,” he says.  

“Pastor Kashem has been faithfully serving among unreached communities for many years, and because of this he has often faced pressure and opposition,” shares a local partner. “This recent attack has created fear among believers in the area, but at the same time it is encouraging many to pray more boldly for the protection and strengthening of the church. Please pray that Pastor Kashem will recover fully and continue standing firm in his calling.” 

As Kashem heals, your prayers are needed for him, his family and local believers counting the cost of following Jesus in an increasingly hostile environment. Open Doors local partners are currently supporting the family through prayer and practical care, as well as aiding all those who have been affected by recent incidents throughout Bangladesh. Please continue to stand with them. 

*Names changed for security reasons