'I could never deny Christ' — Bangladeshi Christians stand firm as persecution escalates

As violence, rejection and pressure intensify, two Christians in Bangladesh defend themselves and their decision to follow Jesus. They courageously declare that they cannot deny Christ.

Painful separation

Anis*, a former Muslim, is now a local evangelist who has served Christ for the last 10 years through the ministry of one of Open Doors’ local partners. Over the years, he and his family have faced varying degrees of pressure for their faith.

The situation has escalated recently.

He was threatened by local Muslim leaders. Despite pressure to renounce his faith in Christ, Anis remained firm in faith. Yet, it forced him to flee, being separated from his family.

“I could not deny the Lord. I could not turn away from the One who saved me,” Anis shares. “I know that God is watching over my family under His wings, and even my 10-year-old son has a faith that will not be shaken by any storm,” he says, adding that the separation is a challenge.

“As a father, my heart is in great pain because I cannot be with them during this difficult time. I also know that our Father in Heaven sees everything that is happening.”

Unable to return to his community, Anis is currently safe with another believer. Despite his difficult circumstance, Anis remains committed to serving the Lord and encouraging fellow believers.

Broken heart

Ripon* was the first believer in his Buddhist family. He met Jesus three years ago and has grown into a local youth evangelist. Although he initially faced severe pressure from his family, God transformed the hearts of his parents, sister and wife. However, his Buddhist-majority community in southeastern Bangladesh is a different story.

When Ripon refused to renounce his faith despite pressure to abandon his faith, the community leaders threatened to expel the whole family.

Ripon recalls one of the most painful moments: “When they pressured my father, he came to me and said that if I did not renounce Christ, he would kill himself, and I would have to walk over his body to leave the house. Hearing those words broke my heart. But God gave me the courage to tell my father that I could never deny Christ. At the same time, I told him that I would never leave him because the Bible teaches me to honour my parents.”

Today, Ripon smiles as he remembers how God transformed his father's heart.

“I would say my father is an even better believer than I am. He encourages me to attend church regularly, and whenever I travel for ministry or seminars, he lovingly takes care of my two daughters.”

Last month, local Buddhist monks called a village meeting. Once again, Ripon was pressured to renounce his faith and to stop organising youth meetings.

“I was actually happy that the meeting took place because now almost everyone in the village knows there is someone called Jesus,” he says. “They may not know Him yet, but at least they have heard His name. I believe this will make it easier for me to speak with them about Him in the future.”

Growing Islamisation

Right now, persecution against Christians is growing in Bangladesh, as extremists increasingly act openly. The social climate across the nation is changing. Since the country’s political changes of August 2024, religious influence in public life has become more visible. Religious slogans, public expressions of faith and the growing influence of Islamist political parties have become increasingly noticeable across the country.

An Open Doors local partner observes, “Pressure for Islamisation is growing ... Islamic religious-based institutions are playing strong roles to influence and propagate it. They are such a big number of people who are spread all over the country; it is quite impossible to control them. The ruling government also seems not to be interested in dealing with this matter.”

*Names changed to protect their identities

please pray

• Pray for God's protection over Anis, his wife, son, and that the family will soon be reunited in a safe place.
• Pray that God will continue to strengthen Ripon, his family and the local believers as they faithfully share the gospel among the indigenous communities.
• For the safety of Christians across Bangladesh, and that the Holy Spirit will give them courage to stand firm in faith.

Please give

• Every HK$220 could give practical, medical, and pastoral support to an secret believer.
• Every HK$330 could train secret believers to persist through persecution and support others.
• Every HK$520 could build future churches through a youth leadership programme.

*Any excess funds from this appeal will be used to support vital long term work for Christians facing high levels of persecution.