Christianity in Bangladesh

Christians in Bangladesh account for 0.30% (roughly 700,000 believers) of the nation's population as of 2022 census.[1][2] Together with Judaism and Buddhism (plus other minority religious groups such as Atheism, Sikhism, the Bahá’í Faith and others), they account for 1% of the population. Islam accounts for 91.04% of the country's religion, followed by Hinduism at 7.95% as per 2022 census.[1]

Historical Christian Population
YearPop.±%
1951 107,000—    
1961 149,000+39.3%
1974 216,000+45.0%
1981 275,000+27.3%
1991 346,000+25.8%
2022 495,500+43.2%
Source: Bangladesh government census authority[3][1]
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Christmas statues depicting Mary and nativity, Archbishop's House, Kakrail, Dhaka
Christmas in Bangladesh

History
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chittagong
Dhaka's Armenian Church, built in 1781

The introduction and development of Christianity in the Indian subcontinent can be traced back to several different periods, with the help of several different countries and denominations. The earliest connection to Christianity can be linked back to the arrival of the Apostle Thomas to the Malabar Coast during the first century, in 52 A.D.[4] In addition, the Apostle had managed to convert several thousands of Hindu Brahmins, as they were "attracted" to the lifestyle and were "impressed" by Jesus' sacrifice.[5]

Christianity did not have a presence in Bangladesh until the arrival of the Portuguese in 1510 with individuals like Alfonso de Albuquerque[5] and Portuguese missionaries.[6] Albuquerque attempted to spread Christianity by encouraging inter-marriage with native Bengali women, therefore their descendants were the first generations of Christians. By 1514, the Portuguese had obtained the right to preach Christianity in Bengal, thanks to the agreement between the Catholic Pope and the King of Portugal.[5]

In 1672, Dome Antonio da Rozari, a young Bengali convert, had managed to convert 20,000 low-caste Hindus into Christianity.[5][7] Afterwards, between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Portuguese missionaries were evangelising and preaching in the Bengali language. Soon on, evangelical books and Christian theology were being written in Bengali.[5]

In 1740, the first Protestant, Reverend John Zachariah Kiernander, arrived in Bangladesh. In 1770, he funded and built a Protestant church called "Mission Church" in West Bengal.[5]

By the 18th century, British missionaries, such as William Carey, had built more churches, translated the Bible and other Christian books, and had set up religious schools.[8] British missionaries had also developed Christian newspapers (such as "Digdarshan", "The Gospel Magazine", and "The Christian Mohila") in an effort to spread the gospel.[5]

In more recent times, the rise of Christianity in Bangladesh can be credited to Western NGOs and Christian charities,[9] who provided humanitarian work after the Liberation War in 1971.[10]

Since then, these NGOs and charities (see Contributions) have not only assisted with support for emergency relief, healthcare, and education in Bangladesh, but they have also encouraged the practice of reading the Bible.[5][11] Currently, it is estimated that there are approximately 17 000 to 23 000 NGOs in Bangladesh.[9]

In the Bangladesh Liberation War (March–December 1971), a significant number of Bangladeshis left Islam to join Christianity (because missionaries stood with them during their difficult times during the civil strife) or to atheism after 1971 due to their experience of oppression conducted by fellow Muslims from West Pakistan.[12]

History of churches

The first church (in present-day Bangladesh) was officially inaugurated in Jessore, erstwhile Chandecan (now Jashore). The church was named "The Church of the Holy Name of Jesus" and was built by the Jesuits, who were not only given permission, but also financial support and land by the King of Jessore.[13]

The second church was financially supported by the Arakanese King and was built by Andre Boves on June 24, 1600.[5] This church was built in Chittagong and was called "St. John the Baptist Church".[5]

In 1601, the third church was built by Dominicans in the south-east of Chittagong. Eventually these churches were burnt down from the attacks by the Arakanese.[5]

William Carey and missionaries

According to religious studies scholar Sufia M. Uddin, William Carey can be seen as "one of the most important early Christian missionary figures".[14] Carey had arrived in Bangladesh in 1773, where he was financially supported by the Baptist Missionary Society to carry out missionary work.[11] Carey believed his success as a missionary, was due him learning the Bengali language and therefore being able to translate the gospel.[15]

In 1801, he was able to publish a translation of The New Testament, which was the first translation in any South Asian language. Carey then published a Bengali grammar that same year and was also appointed as a professor at Fort William College.[8] Carey, with the assistance of Joshua Marshman and William Ward created Serampore College.[5]

Carey's colleagues and missionary team built a Bengali boys' school and by 1817, they were operating 45 boys' schools. As for girls, in 1818 they opened their first Bengali girls' school and by 1824, they were running 6 girls' schools.[8] These mission-run schools would often attract students with scholarships and accommodation.[10]

Carey also oversaw the works the Bible being translated into more than 34 Indian languages, while the missionaries wrote books and tracts favouring the Christian lifestyle. These books and tracts (such as "Prophet's Testimony of Christ", "God's Punishment of Sin", and "Krishna and Christ Compared") not only emphasised the benefits of Christian life, but reportedly condemned Hindu and Islamic beliefs.[16]

According to scholars Khalil Bilici, during the Bangladesh Liberation War (March–December 1971), a significant number of Bangladeshis left Islam to join Christianity (because missionaries stood with them during their difficult times during the civil strife) or to atheism after 1971 due to their experience of oppression conducted by fellow Muslims from West Pakistan.[17]

Female missionaries

In 1822, Miss Mary Anne Cooke was one of the first English female missionaries. Prior to this in 1820, missionary William Ward had encouraged for English women to preach Christianity, in order to connect more with Bengali women. With help from the Christian Missionary Society, Cooke founded 15 girls' schools with around 300 students within the Calcutta area.[5]

Sister Argerita Bellasiny, Sister Brigida Janella, and Sister Agostina Bigo from Italy were called upon Father Marietti on 17 May 1868 to help with missionary outreach. The three would spread Christianity by going door to door, particularly focusing on poor and vulnerable widows.[5]

First Christian martyr

Father Francisco Fernandez was the first martyr in Bangladesh; he died on 14 November 1602.[7] He was led to his death because he had attempted to save Christian women and children from being captured and used as slaves by the Arakanese who are Buddhists.[7] He was detained, chained, and beaten to death.[7]

Contributions

Christians have greatly served the education and health sectors. This tiny community has some 1000 schools and about 100 health care centers and hospitals. In Bangladesh, the Christian community runs the country's largest cooperative bank in Dhaka.

Having worked in Bangladesh as a missionary since 1952, Father Richard William Timm, C.S.C. won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding, the Asian Nobel Prize, in 1987 in recognition of his work as a teacher, as a biologist studying plant-parasitic worms, and with Caritas on relief efforts.[18]

In the 1990s, many people opposed the aid of Christian NGOs, and therefore there was a spike in the number of protests and violence opposing the religious influence of Christian NGOs. Up to 52 NGOs were considered to be "anti-Islamic", with the intentions of "proselytising" the Islamic nation to Christianity, targeting the vulnerable; the outcasts, the uneducated, and the poor.[10]

Persecution

With the rise of Islamic fundamentalist movement Christians in Bangladesh often face the pressure from radical Islamic groups or threats (such as persecution and harassment) from the wider community. In 2019, several churches, such as Mohandi Assemblies of God church, were either burnt down or destroyed.[2] To combat this, Christians would gather in secret or in small houses to practice their religion.[2] Additionally, in 2020, it's alleged that several Christians have been detained by police for "unlawful conversion".[2]

Conditions have improved in recent years as Bangladesh moved from place 35 on the World Watch List of Christian persecution in 2015 to place 48 in 2019. However, a rise of violence against Christians sent the country to number 30 on the list in 2023.[19]

In 2023, the country was scored 2 out of 4 for religious freedom;[20] this was mainly due to threats of violence to non-Muslims.

Other attacks on Christians

On 3 June 2001, there was a bomb attack during mass in a Catholic church located in Baniarchor; the attack had killed nine people.[7]

An Italian aid worker, Cesare Tavella was shot and killed in 2015. Parolari Piero, an Italian priest and doctor was shot several times in 2015.[7]

In 2016, a Christian businessman named Sunil Gomes was hacked to death.[7]

On 1 July 2016, 20 hostages were massacred by a group of Islamic militants.[7]

Pastor Luke Sarkar of Faith Bible Church was attacked on 5 October 2015 and his throat was cut with a sharp knife but he survived.[7]

In the 2020s, most attacks on minorities are focused against Hindus.[21]

Denominations

Catholic Dioceses

There are two Catholic archdioceses and six Catholic dioceses in Bangladesh with some 400,000 Catholics. Each diocese is led by its own local bishop. Cardinal Patrick D'Rozario is the highest Catholic official.

The Archdiocese of Dhaka comprises:[7]

The archdiocese of Chittagong comprises:[7]

The diocese of Dhaka was created in 1952 and Rev. James D. Blair was assigned as the first Bishop (Markham, Hawkins IV, Terry & Steffensen, 2013). Following Blair, the first indigenous Bishop of the Diocese of Dhaka was assigned to Rev. B.D. Mondal. By the late 1980s, it was decided that a second diocese was needed, and this was established in Kusthia in 1990; a third diocese was established in 2017.[22]

List of Protestant denominations

List of Baptist Churches

National Council of Churches in Bangladesh

The National Council of Churches in Bangladesh (or, Jatiya Church Parishad of Bangladesh) is a Christian ecumenical organization founded in Bangladesh in 1949 as the East Pakistan Christian Council.[23] The organization serves as a unifying platform for Christians of various denominations, working towards solidarity, cooperation, and the well-being of the Christian community in the context of Bangladesh's diverse religious landscape. It is a member of the World Council of Churches[24] and the Christian Conference of Asia. In 2002 it led public debate on the reform of Bangladeshi personal law applied to Christians.[25][26]

Christian theological education

There are 16 Christian theological institutions in Bangladesh.[27]

  • A G Bible College (Assemblies of God) was created in 1995.[27]
  • Agape College (Baptist) was created in 2003.[27]
  • Bangladesh Institution of Christian Theology (inter-denominational) was created in 1996.[27]
  • Bangladesh Theological Seminary (inter-denominational) was created in 1989.[27]
  • Center for Religious Studies (Presbyterian) was created in 2004.[27]
  • Christian Discipleship Centre (inter-denominational) was created in 1979.[27]
  • College of Christian Theology in Bangladesh (inter-denominational) was created in 1968.[27]
  • Faith Bible School was created in 2002.[27]
  • Gloria Theological Seminary (inter-denominational) was created in 1996.[27]
  • Grace Presbyterian Theological Seminary (inter-denominational) was created in 2004.[27]
  • Holy Spirit Major Seminary (Catholic) was created in 1973.[27]
  • Isa-e Training Institute (Protestant) was created in 2006.[27]
  • Methodist Theological Seminary (Methodist) was created in 1992.[27]
  • St. Andrews Theological Seminary (Anglican) was created in 1978.[27]
  • St. Joseph Seminary (Roman Catholic) was created in 1948.[27]
  • The Salvation Army Officer Training College was created in 1993.[27]

Christian media

The Catholic weekly magazine, Pratibeshi, was founded in 1941 as Ranikhong Mission Chithi, a monthly parish bulletin. In the mid-1940s, it took its present name and moved to Dhaka.[28] The magazine is one of the oldest Bengali and Catholic newspapers.[29][30] In 2013, Pratibeshi launched an online news site with a focus on broad news coverage.[30]

Radio Veritas Asia began their Bengali service in 1980. It is jointly produced in Dhaka and Kolkata.[31]

Culture adoptions

The Catholic community have adopted the Hindu use of the sindhur.[32]

Christian education in Bangladesh

Notable Bangladeshi Christians

Industry

Arts

Bangladesh Army

Sports

Politicians

See also

References
  1. "Census 2022: Bangladesh population now 165 million". Dhaka Tribune. 27 July 2022.
  2. "Bangladesh". Open Doors USA. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  3. "Bangladesh- Population census 1991: Religious Composition 1901-1991". Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities of Dallas/Fortworth. Archived from the original on 14 November 2016.
  4. Embree, Ainslie T. (2006-10-26). "Christian Communities in South Asia". Oxford Handbooks Online. doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195137989.003.0035.
  5. Islam, S.A.M. Ziaul (2014). "Christianization and Christianity in Bangladesh: Historical Perspectives". Journal of the Chittagong University Journal of Arts and Humanities. 29: 9.
  6. Zene, Cosimo. (2014). The Rishi of Bangladesh: a History of Christian Dialogue. Taylor and Francis. ISBN 978-1-136-86139-0. OCLC 876513050.
  7. "Christianity: 1200 to 1900: South, Central, and West Asia", Cultural Sociology of the Middle East, Asia, & Africa: An Encyclopedia, SAGE Publications, Inc., 2012, doi:10.4135/9781452218458.n679, ISBN 978-1-4129-8176-7
  8. Uddin, Sufia M. (2006). Constructing Bangladesh: religion, ethnicity, and language in an Islamic nation. University of North Carolina Press. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-8078-3021-5.
  9. Thompson, Anna Patricia (2012). Exploring the mission-development nexus through stories from Christian 'missionaries ' in Bangladesh : a thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Development Studies. OCLC 904070507.
  10. Islam, Md Saidul. (2001). The role NGOs in promoting christianity : the case of Bangladesh. OCLC 969718454.
  11. Ali, Md Yousuf; Nurullah, Abu Sadat (1970-01-01). "Challenges of Islamic Da'wah in Bangladesh: The Christian Missions and Their Evangelization". IIUC Studies. 4: 87–108. doi:10.3329/iiucs.v4i0.2857. ISSN 2408-8544.
  12. Khalil, Mohammad Hassan; Bilici, Mucahit (January 2007). "Conversion Out of Islam: A Study of Conversion Narratives of Former Muslims" (PDF). The Muslim World. 97: 111–124. doi:10.1111/j.1478-1913.2007.00161.x. hdl:2027.42/72141 – via deepblue.lib.umich.edu.
  13. Ray, Aniruddha (1976). "Case Study of a Revolt in Medieval Bengal: Raja Pratapaditya Guha Roy". In De, Barun (ed.). Essays in Honour of Prof. S.C. Sarkar. Delhi: People's Pub. House
  14. Uddin, Sufia M. (2006). Constructing Bangladesh: religion, ethnicity, and language in an Islamic nation. University of North Carolina Press. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-8078-3021-5.
  15. Uddin, Sufia M. (2006). Constructing Bangladesh: religion, ethnicity, and language in an Islamic nation. University of North Carolina Press. p. 50. ISBN 978-0-8078-3021-5.
  16. Uddin, Sufia M. (2006). Constructing Bangladesh: religion, ethnicity, and language in an Islamic nation. University of North Carolina Press. pp. 51–52. ISBN 978-0-8078-3021-5.
  17. Khalil, Mohammad Hassan; Bilici, Mucahit (January 2007). "Conversion Out of Islam: A Study of Conversion Narratives of Former Muslims" (PDF). The Muslim World. 97: 111–124. doi:10.1111/j.1478-1913.2007.00161.x. hdl:2027.42/72141 – via deepblue.lib.umich.edu.
  18. "Awardees: Timm, Richard William". Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2016-01-30.
  19. Open Doors website, retrieved 2023-08-08
  20. Freedom House website, retrieved 2023-08-08
  21. US State Dept 2022 report
  22. Council For World Mission website, retrieved 2023-08-28
  23. Official website
  24. World Council of Churches : Listing
  25. Kashyap, Aruna (2012-09-17). ""Will I Get My Dues … Before I Die?"". Human Rights Watch.
  26. Pereira, Faustina; Huda, Shahnaz; Hossain, Sara (2019-03-19). Revisiting Personal Laws in Bangladesh: Proposals for Reform. BRILL. pp. 11–13. ISBN 978-90-04-35727-3.
  27. Anirudha Das, David (2012). "Bangladesh: Bangladesh". The Ecumenical Review. 64 (2): 169–176. doi:10.1111/j.1758-6623.2012.00159.x.
  28. Uttom, Stephan; Rozario, Rock Ronald (5 April 2016). "Bangladesh's Catholic weekly turns 75". UCA News.
  29. "Weekly Pratibeshi celebrates 75 years". The Daily Star. 2 April 2016. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
  30. Corraya, Sumon (31 October 2013). "Bangladesh Catholic Church launches its first online weekly". AsiaNews. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  31. Rozario, Rock Ronald (7 December 2020). "Radio Veritas Asia marks 40 years of Bengali Service". UCA News.
  32. De Rozario, Tapan (2011). "Christian Mission and Evangelization in Bangladesh" (PDF). Bangladesh e-Journal of Sociology. 8.
  33. Baptist World Alliance News. "Samson Chowdhury, former BWA vice president, has died". Baptist World Alliance. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
  34. "Detail of - Hon'ble Ministers". Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism. Archived from the original on 2011-08-23.
  35. Square Pharma attains 17.5 pc sales growth in 2005, The New Nation, Dec 29, 2005.
  36. ছোটবেলার বড়দিনের কথা এখনো মনে হয় [I still remember my childhood Christmas]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 25 December 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  37. "Promode Mankin, Bangladesh's first Catholic minister, dies". asianews.it. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  38. "Jewel Areng". Amarmp. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  39. "Two new Mymensingh MPs take oath". The Independent. Dhaka. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  40. "Easter a holiday in Bangladesh this year - Vatican News". vaticannews.va. 2019-04-20. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  41. Asian News website, article by Sumon Corraya, dated February 2nd 2019

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