Pray for Bangladesh

Bangladesh is located in South Asia.

It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma in the far southeast.

The capital is Dhaka.
The population is 162.2 million

FACTS
The name Bangladesh means "Country of Bengal"  

The Royal Bengal Tiger is the national animal.

Bangladesh has the largest mangrove forest in the world.

DEMOGRAPHICS
98.5%  Bengali
2%     Other

89.7%  Muslim
9.2 %  Hindu
0.7%   Buddhist
0.3%   Christian
0.1%   Other (Animists, None)

HISTRY
Bangladesh was part of India until 1947.

Bangladesh has been inhabited for thousands of years.
Its earliest inhabitants were Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, Tibeto-Burman,
and Austro-Asiatic peoples.

The Kingdom of Gangaridai was formed around the 7th century B.C.

Bengal came under the control of various Hindu empires.
There was frequent clashes between Hindu and Buddhist factions.

Islam was introduced in the 10th century by Arab merchants.

The Turks conquered large parts of the region 1204.

By the 16th century, the Mughal Empire controlled the region.

In 1577 the Portuguese  were allowed to build permanent settlements and churches.

Britain gained control of the region in 1757.

In 1947 Bangladesh became part of Pakistan.

Political exclusion and economic exploitation led to the Bangladesh Liberation War(1971)
after which the country became independant.

CONDITIONS
The economy relies on agriculture, manufacture and service.

Bangladesh is one of the poorest countries on earth.
Half the population lives below the poverty line.

Bangladesh is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change.
Yearly floods and cyclones cause billions of dollars of damage and loss of many lives.
Natural hazards are expected to increase as climate changes.

The country has been plagued with social unrest.

Half of the population is under 16.

Over half of the population can't read.

SPIRITUAL CONDITIONS
Islam is the official religion of Bangladesh.

Other religious groups may worship openly but face social discrimination.

Islamic extremism is on the rise.

The law states that property can be confiscated if the owner is considered
an 'Enemy of the state.'
This law is used to seize property from religious minorities.

Conversion to Christianity is considered the most shameful act for a Muslim.
Converts are often alienated from family, expelled from their communities
or pressured to revert to Islam.

In remote areas Muslims often deny Christians access to public water wells,
extort money and destroy tools to eliminate their only source of income.

Often converts and their families are beaten and authorities deny them due process.

Growing congregations attract opposition from terrorist groups and Muslim neighbors.

Copies of the Bible Storybook are being distributed to children and semi-literate adults.

SUFFERERS
In 2008, Buddhists and local officials took converts from the Chittagong division
and held them against their will.
They were pressured to convert back to Buddhism and forced to undergo Buddhist rituals.

In 2009 police raided an evangelism meeting in Boalia, arrested and tortured
a pastor and two others.

The son of a convert was kidnapped in June, 2010.

On April 2010 an armed rebel group kidnapped a Baptist pastor.
The pastor was allegedly beaten and taken to a Buddhist temple where he was
told to deny his faith in Christ.

That same day, two Christian men were taken by the rebels to the temple and
released when they agreed to the rebels' demands.

The pastor remains inside the Buddhist temple where he is allowed to move
about freely, but he is constantly surrounded by monks who are instructing
him in their rituals and teachings.
The villagers were told they would be shot dead if they involved the police.

In August 2011, a convert was falsely arrested because of his Christian activities.

PRAYER NEEDS
Pray for those suffering from poverty

Pray for those who lost loved ones to flooding.
Pray for protection from floods and cyclones

Pray that social unrest cease

Pray that literacy improves.

Pray that Believers remain strong in their faith, even in the face of persecution.

Pray for abused women in rural villages, including the wives and daughters
of Muslim background believers.

Pray for the expanding literacy program as it reaches rural believers and unbelievers.

Copies of the Bible Storybook are being distributed to children and semi-literate adults.
Pray that they will grow in their understanding of God.

Pray that thoe unable to read will be able to hear the gospel through radio,
the JESUS film and other media.