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Partner with Local Missionaries in Bangladesh

Located in the 10/40 Window

Bangladesh

With more than 160 million inhabitants living in an area slightly smaller than Iowa, Bangladesh is one of the world’s most populous and densely populated countries. The South Asian country is bordered by India, Myanmar, and the Bay of Bengal.
Bangladesh used to be part of Pakistan until a bitter civil war led to independence in 1971. The country declared Islam its official religion in 1988. Since then, the Bangladeshi government has taken the initiative to propagate Islam, providing financial assistance to mosques and organizing the training of imams. Today, 89% of the population is Muslim.
Bangladesh is one of the world’s poorest countries, with nearly half of the population subsisting on less than one dollar per day. However, with the help of international development assistance, Bangladesh is making significant progress in economic growth, food production, and universal education. Almost half of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector. Garments are the backbone of Bangladesh’s industrial sector.
The Christian population comprises an extremely small percentage of the population, less than a fraction of 1%, and faces persecution from Muslim communities and radical Muslim groups. Multiple Islamic terrorist groups, including the Islamic State (ISIS), have networks in Bangladesh. Many Christians meet in underground house churches. Believers who belong to ethnic minorities face the highest levels persecution, like those from the Rohingya refugee population, nearly 1 million of whom live in Bangladesh.
In the early 1800s, the English missionary William Carey ministered to the Bengali people and translated the New Testament into their language. Today, indigenous missionaries effectively continue the work of evangelism and discipleship. Christian Aid Mission assists multiple ministries that are working among the Bengali majority as well as many ethnic minority groups. Missionary support is their greatest need, along with funding for discipleship and training programs, which are desperately needed to ensure new believers are grounded in God’s Word.
These ministries are also engaged in compassionate outreach, including providing education to poor Muslim and Christian children, running feeding centers that provide nourishment to hundreds of children, and sheltering orphaned or abandoned children.
Sources: Joshua Project, CIA World Factbook

174 million

Population

Unknown

Evangelical Population:

299

People Groups:

276

Unreached People Groups:

How to Pray for Bangladesh

  • Pray that God would pour out His spirit on the people of Bangladesh to open blind eyes to the truth.
  • Pray that people battered by poverty and discrimination would be healed, strengthened and redeemed by Christ’s love.
  • Pray for protection and provision for brave believers and indigenous missionaries risking everything to share the hope of the gospel in this difficult mission field.

More stories from Bangladesh

Help Sow Gospel Seed in Bangladesh
Meeting people in marketplaces, shops and home visits, native Christian workers form friendships and share the gospel as they invest in the lives of others. Opportunities to tell people about Christ also arise as they distribute water and medicines and give free training in tailoring. Workers recently brought the Good News of eternal life in Christ to 174 villages, reaching 2,900 people and another 100 through social media. Donations are sought for such gospel outreach and follow-up. Pray for workers’ safety and fruitfulness as they step out in faith.
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Enable Gospel Efforts in Bangladesh
New Christians at a local ministry leader’s church are growing in their faith as they pray during worship every Sunday and lead their families in evening meetings at their homes. Workers are discipling fledgling Christians even as they visit new villages to distribute Bibles and begin forming relationships; over one six-month stretch, they proclaimed Christ to 1,420 people of other religions, and six churches were planted. Donations are sought for such efforts to proclaim Christ and follow up with new believers. Pray that young Christians will hold fast to Christ throughout their lives, bearing fruit in every season.
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Help Send the Gospel in Bangladesh
In areas of poverty, disease and persecution, native workers guided by the Holy Spirit brought the message of eternal life to 1,420 people over a six-month period, with 270 of them trusting in Christ as Lord and Savior. Workers provided Bibles and discipled new converts as they brought them into fellowship. During the same period, they planted six churches. They are working with children and older youths to build solid foundations for faith and are equipping families to meet in their homes for evening prayer meetings. Workers need donations for such gospel work. Pray the Lord would help them defeat the designs of the adversary.
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Help Expand Christ’s Kingdom in Bangladesh
A follower of a local religion was unable to find peace, and when native missionaries shared the gospel with him, he listened carefully as they taught from the Bible. After much consideration, he put his faith in Christ. “I have left my old behavior and character, and I am saved now,” he said. “I am now living in peace and praying for forgiveness for the sins I committed before I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ.” Workers visiting villages have seen many tribal people turn to Christ. Donations are sought for such proclamation of the gospel and discipling of those who believe. Local missionaries request prayer that more tribal people would be saved.
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Enable Gospel Efforts in Bangladesh
New Christians at a local ministry leader’s church are growing in their faith as they pray during worship every Sunday and lead their families in evening meetings at their homes. Workers are discipling fledgling Christians even as they visit new villages to distribute Bibles and begin forming relationships; over one six-month stretch, they proclaimed Christ to 1,200 people of other religions, and 12 churches were planted. Donations are sought for such efforts to proclaim Christ and follow up with new believers. Pray that young Christians will hold fast to Christ throughout their lives, bearing fruit in every season.
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Build Biblically Solid Churches in Bangladesh
Native Christian workers following up with people who accepted Christ during home visits later prayed and studied the Scripture with them and left them with Bibles. “They were very happy to get this special thing,” the ministry leader said. “Before, they were not very interested to read the Bible and have family prayer meetings, but by God’s grace now they feel happy to read the Bible in their own language and are understanding it well.” This has helped them leave their lives of sin and regularly attend church. Workers need donations for such evangelism and discipleship. Pray that poor people would be freed from poverty and receive hope in Christ.
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