Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)
Mar 02: Bangladesh
Bangladesh
People's Republic of Bangladesh
Asia
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 143,998 sq kmOccupying the delta and floodplains of the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers, with high rainfall and frequent flooding.
Population: 164,425,491 Annual Growth: 1.43%
Capital: Dhaka
Urbanites: 28.1%
HDI Rank: 146 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Peoples: 423 (88% unreached) All peoplesUnreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: Bengla; English also used Languages: 46 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Muslim| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 1,085,208 | 0.66 | 3.1 |
| Evangelicals | 633,467 | 0.4 | 3.6 |
| Muslim | 146,355,130 | 89.01 |
Challenges for Prayer
There are over 20,000 registered NGOs which have multiplied to meet the land’s endless social needs. Indigenous secular NGOs such as the Grameen Bank significantly improved the lives of millions of the poor. The Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee (BRAC) is the world’s largest NGO (2009), a status accompanied by both large-scale success in development work and growing criticism as a “second government” with too little accountability. Christian NGOs have administered aid since independence and, during the nation’s frequent natural calamities, have demonstrated generosity and impartiality. HEED Bangladesh (Health, Education & Economic Development), WVI, World Concern and others seek to uphold Christian values and prepare the way for local church and mission involvement. Tearfund seconds workers and helps in funding projects and in research.Bengali people are by far the largest unreached people in the world, numbering around 240 million globally. The majority live in Bangladesh and India, but large communities live in Britain, the USA and elsewhere. It was to the Bengali that William Carey went as a missionary. Although they revere Carey’s memory, the great breakthrough has still not come after 200 years. There are signs of the trickle becoming a flood, however. Pray specifically for:
a) Muslims, who number over 140 million in Bangladesh alone. The Bengali are claimed as Islam’s greatest missionary success. But the majority follow “folk” Islam – a blend of Sufi-influenced Islam, indigenous culture and Hinduism. Pray for:
i Openness to the gospel – the vast majority have never heard the true gospel.
ii More workers – given their population, the numbers committed to reaching them are pitifully few (perhaps only four Protestant missionaries for every one million Bengalis). Pray for a surge in Kingdom workers committed to the evangelization of Bengalis.
iii Those who have responded – many have remained in their cultural/religious context while committing their lives to Jesus. Pray for the nurturing of these followers; pray for leaders who model biblical values and lifestyles, for God-honouring worship patterns and for cultural relevance without compromise of biblical faith. They often face social and family pressure to renounce Christ and opposition from some Islamic leaders. Pray that new believers may experience dependence on God in poverty, firmness under persecution, evangelistic vision and unity with other established Christian communities from differing cultural backgrounds.
b) Hindus, who feel increasingly vulnerable as a religious minority – there have been many incidents of violence and persecution against them. Pray for this hardship to spark openness to Jesus. Some followers of Jesus remain within the Hindu context and do not link with “foreign” Christian bodies. There are 228 Hindu people groups and/or castes, of which 204 are classified as least-reached/unreached. Only among 14 groups has there been any significant response. The upper castes have remained resistant to the gospel.
For an additional 11 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
