What the upcoming election means for Bangladeshi Christians – Mission Network News

Bangladesh (MNN) – Tensions are rising in Bangladesh as the country’s interim government looks to hand off power in the next election cycle. Caught between vying political parties are the nation’s Christians, who are seeing a spike in persecution as Islamic fundamentalism gains traction. Mike Grandy with Unknown Nations has been on the ground in Bangladesh on and off since the previous government was overthrown in August of 2024.
“It seems like since this point, the general population is not really happy with the political situation,” he says. 
Courtesy of Sazzad Bin Jafor via Unsplash
Grandy observes that the majority Muslim population is looking for something different.
“They’re seeing that a secular government isn’t working for them, so it seems they may be open to a more fundamental Islamic push toward Sharia law; and those that are pushing Sharia law are seeing the opportunity here, and they’re promoting that.” 
In recent visits to Bangladesh, Grandy and his team saw impromptu political rallies on the streets, bolstered by social media campaigning and widespread political messaging. 
What does a push toward Islamic fundamentalism mean for Christians? As for other religious minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, it means increased religious targeting. 
One way Unknown Nations ministers to families is through preschool education, a door through which whole families have come to Christ. 
“But as a result of that, sometimes those places get targeted,” Grandy says. “So we’ve had one of our buildings where we were holding these preschools ransacked and destroyed.” 
This photo and header photo courtesy of Bornil Amin via Unsplash
In the last few weeks, the violence has intensified, including in the form of physical attacks on ministry leaders. 
“People are nervous; we have a network of over a hundred leaders who are currently in hiding because they’re being targeted,” Grandy says. 
He points out that the violence is connected to the upcoming election, but it’s also par for the course on the spiritual warfare front. 
The Kingdom of God is expanding even as opposition rails against it, but the realities of the persecuted church are heavy. 
“They don’t live in fear, but they face things that we can’t really comprehend in our culture, in our society.” 
Please pray for boldness, courage, and discernment from the Holy Spirit for our brothers and sisters in Bangladesh. 
Pray also for the ministry of Unknown Nations as they continue working to distribute audio Bibles, serve through humanitarian projects, and equip the church through leadership training in Bangladesh. If you’d like to support this work financially, click here.
Unknown Nations
4200 Alpine Ave NW
Comstock Park, MI
49321
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