Christianity in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is the focus of our features story for the month. The country, officially known as the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, is located in South Asia. It shares land borders with India to the west, north and east, and Myanmar to the southeast. To the south, it has a coastline along the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh is narrowly separated from Bhutan and Nepal by the Siliguri Corridor, and from China by the Indian State of Sikkim in the north. The capital is Dhaka, while the official language is Bengali.

The majority of the Bangladeshi population identifies as Muslim, while the second largest group is Hinduism. The religious composition by percentage is Islam (90.39%), Hinduism (8.54%), Buddhism (0.6%), Christianity (0.37%); others, including Sikhism, Atheism, Judaism and Baha’i Faith (0.14%). Despite having Islam as the state religion, Bangladesh is mostly governed by secular laws set up during the time it was ruled by the British Crown.

Modern History

The borders of modern Bangladesh were established with the separation of Bengal and India in August 1947. Thus the region became East Pakistan as  a part of the newly formed State of Pakistan following the end of British rule in the region. Proclamation of Bangladesh Independence in March 1971 led to the nine-month long Bangladesh Liberation War. This culminated in East Pakistan emerging as the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

God’s Canvass in Bangladesh

Most parts of the country are dominated by the fertile Ganges Delta, the largest river in the world. The unique landscapes of the northwest and central parts are Madhupur and Barind plateaus, while the northeast and southeast are homes to evergreen hill ranges. The country has rich fertile flatland in some areas, with about 17% of the land area covered by forests.

Fauna

The fauna of the country consists of about 2,600 diverse species of animals. These include 22 species of amphibians, 708 species of fish, 126 species of reptiles, 628 species of birds and 113 species of mammals. Notable ones are presented below.

Flora

 More than 6,000 plant species are native to the country, of which about 300 are exotic and 8 endemic. Also, 3,611 of the plant species are flowering plants and 95 rated as threatened. About 300 species and varieties of algae are also found in Bangladesh. Some of the plant species are shown below.

Beaches in Bangladesh        

Culture

Bangladesh has a rich, diverse culture reflected in its architecture, dance, literature, music, painting and clothing. The three main religions, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism have also influenced its culture and history. Drama and theatre are old traditions that are very popular in the country. More than a dozen theatre groups in Dhaka City have been regularly staging locally written plays for hundreds of years. In the countryside, girls dance to popular folk music.          

Traditional Attire

 Another important aspect of culture in Bangladesh is clothing. The women usually wear Saris made of the world famous and expensive embroidered quilted patchwork cloth produced by village women. They also wear their hair in a twisted bun called ‘Beni style’. Their male counterparts wear shirts and pants, except at special occasions when they wear traditional outfit like ‘Lungi’, ‘Dhoti’, ‘Panjabi’, ‘Pajam’, and ‘Fatua’. Some traditional attires worn in the country are presented below.

Cuisine

Bangladeshi cuisine emphasises fish, vegetables and lentils served with rice. Because of the differences in history and geography, the cuisine is rich in regional variations. While having unique traits, the country’s cuisine is closely related to that of surrounding Bengal and Northeast India, with rice and fish as traditional favourites. Bangladesh also developed the only multi-course tradition in South Asia known as ‘Bangaliketa’. Dishes common among its people include those shown in the pictures below.

Status of Christianity in Bangladesh

Christians in Bangladesh account for a negligible percentage of the population. The presence of Christians in the country dates back to British rule. The Christian community is divided into two, Roman Catholic and Protestant. Currently, several missionaries are operating in the country. There are no reports of persecution of Christians for their faith as the nation’s constitution endorses equal rights for all citizens irrespective of their religions. The fact that Christians constitute less than one percent of the population cannot be blamed on the government or other religious groups in the country. Christians are simply not too keen to fulfil the Great Commission of Yeshua (Jesus). Therefore, we are using this opportunity to solicit the cooperation of all lovers of God for focused intercession for unsaved souls in the country using the prayer points presented below.          

Prayer Points

1. Pray that God would sanctify all followers of Yeshua in the country by His word.
2. Pray that He would destroy faulty spiritual foundations laid in their lives through doctrines of devils.
3. Ask the Father to purge them of worldliness and divisive spirits.
4. Pray that He would fill them with His Spirit for the ministry of the word and prayer for loss souls in their midst.
5. Pray that all believers would receive light on their role as Ambassadors of Christ and act as such in their spheres of influence.
6. Ask the Father to give them the courage to preach the message of the Kingdom in season and out of season.
7. Pray that God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh in Bangladesh to convict unbelievers of their sins and bring them to repentance.
8. Ask the Father to judge all demonic principalities and powers operating in Bangladesh and destroy their hold upon its people.
9. Pray that He would remove the covering of darkness from the heart, mind, eyes and ears of all Bangladeshis to enable them understand the Gospel of Yeshua.
10.  Ask the Father to send labourers into His harvest in the country.
11.  Pray that He would open doors for missionaries already in the country to reach the lost.
12.  Ask the Father to protect them from attacks by religious extremists.

Intercession Checklist

            In 1 Timothy 2:1-3, we are charged to pray for all people and to ask God to help them. We are also told in 1 Timothy 2:4 that God desires that all men should be saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth. In the light of the foregoing, we are duty bound to intercede for all unsaved souls globally. In order to pray effectively for those in Bangladesh, we recommend that believers should do the following:

1. Select a town, city or region from the political map provided in the article.
2. Present the town, city or region before God for focused prayer, telling Him that you are claiming its people for Yeshua as his Ambassador.
3. Make an effort to reach out to any Bangladeshi on social media and establish a relationship with him or her.
4. Pray for such friends specifically based on your interaction with them.

     **** Materials sourced from Bangladesh, https://en.m.wikipedia.org.