Leader: President Abdul
Hamid
Population: 160.4 million (1.2 million Christians)
Main Religion: Islam
Government: Parliamentary democracy
World Watch List Rank: 43
Source of Persecution: Islamic extremism/religious nationalism
Population: 160.4 million (1.2 million Christians)
Main Religion: Islam
Government: Parliamentary democracy
World Watch List Rank: 43
Source of Persecution: Islamic extremism/religious nationalism
Bangladesh is a unitary parliamentary
republic with an elected parliament called the Jatiyo Sangshad. The native Bengalis
form the country's largest ethnic group, along with indigenous peoples in
northern and southeastern districts. Geographically, the country is dominated
by the fertile Bengal delta, the world's largest delta. This also gives
Bangladesh a unique name tag as "the land of rivers". Bangladesh has
a rich heritage of ancient civilization. Bangladesh's documented history spans
4,000 years. Bangladesh human history has lasted for more than 20,000 years. (http://www.quickiwiki.com)
Bangladesh continues to be a
secular country, but although its constitution provides for religious freedom,
it also declares that the state religion is Islam. Although conversion is not
forbidden by law, converts from Islam or Buddhism face strong pressure from
family, friends and local religious leaders to recant their faith. Christians
have been forced out of business and their children discriminated against in
school. Six churches and one school were destroyed in 2014;
two Christians were shot dead, four abducted and several forced into hiding.(http://www.opendoorsuk.org/persecution/worldwatch/bangladesh.php)
two Christians were shot dead, four abducted and several forced into hiding.(http://www.opendoorsuk.org/persecution/worldwatch/bangladesh.php)
RELIGION IN BANGLADESH
Islam is the largest religion of Bangladesh, making up
89.5 of the population. Hinduism makes up 8.5% of the population, Buddhism 0.6%
and Christianity 0.3%. The majority of Muslims are Sunni, roughly 4%
are non-denominational Muslims and a small number are Shia, and about 100,000 Ahmadi
Muslims. Bangladesh has the fourth largest Muslim population after Indonesia,
Pakistan and India. Hindus are the second biggest religious group in
Bangladesh, and the third largest in the world after India and Nepal. Buddhists
are concentrated in the southeast while Christians in urban areas. Islam as the
state religion. The Constitution calls for a secular government and bans
religion-based politics. Bangladesh combines secular state laws with individual
personal religious codes.
PERSECUTION IN BANGLADESH
Conversion is not forbidden by law, but pressure to
recant the Christian faith will be exerted by family, friends and neighbours.
There have been several reports of Christians having to give up their shops or
businesses due to the pressure by the Muslim majority. Converts themselves are
isolated from their family frequently and registration of converts' children is
problematical as in most cases they are automatically registered as Muslims.
Churches, especially house churches where
Muslim-background believers meet, prefer not to display any Christian symbols
in order to avoid being recognised. Sometimes, even historic or mainline
churches face opposition and restrictions in putting up a cross or other
religious symbols.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Praise God
that the church is growing, despite the increased restrictions and challenges
it faces.
John 1:1 calls
the Son of God, the Word for good reason. Words reveal our invisible
thoughts. In the same way Jesus made the invisible God visible.
John 1:14, 18 (NIV)
– “The Word became flesh and made His
dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who
came from the Father, full of grace and truth...No one has ever seen God but
God, the One and Only, who is at the Fathers side, has made him known.”
2 Chronicles 6:33 - “…then hear from heaven, your dwelling
place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of
the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel,
and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.”
Isaiah 43:6 – “I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters
from the ends of the earth.”
Isaiah 49:6 – “(The Lord)
says: ‘It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes
of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. O LORD make the Christians in Bangladesh a light for the Gentiles, that
they may bring Your salvation to the ends
of the earth.'”
Isaiah 56:7 – “ O Lord bring the Christians Your holy mountain and
give them joy in their hearts. May their offerings and sacrifices be acceptable
on Your altar;
2. Violence
against Christians is on the increase.
Pray for protection for those facing threats of abuse
from family and community. Pray for courage. “If I did not
accept Islam, they would beat me, burn my house, and evict me from the society.
“Their threats chilled me to the bone. That is why I pretended to accept Islam,
but faith in Christ is the wellspring of my life. Now I am no longer a Muslim;
I am a Christian.”
2 Timothy 4:17 – “But the
Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached
fully through me, and that all
the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” O Lord,
stand by Your people and strengthened them so that through Your message, Your
name might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles will hear it.
Job 38:41 (AMP) – “Who provides prey for the
raven When its young cry to God And wander about without food?” Lord, provide for the raven its prey, when its
young ones cry to You for help, and wander about for lack of food.
Matthew 9:37 & John
4:35 – “The
harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few; therefore pray the Lord of
the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.”
1 Corinthians 3:9 – “For we
are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.”
2 Thessalonians 3:1 – “Finally,
brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you,”
Be
thou a sun and shield, O Lord God, and bestows favour and honour to
Your people
in Bangladesh.
