Bangladesh (MNN) — The interim government of Bangladesh recently announced that it
will hold elections for four city corporations and nine municipalities in
August. It promised to relax the
restrictions imposed under the state of emergency in the regions of the
elections.
The country's political parties, the Awami League and the
Bangladesh National Party, oppose the move to hold local elections before the
national elections scheduled for December. The leaders of the parties have been in detention.
As IN Network has an extensive ministry in Bangladesh, it
hopes the elections will be free and fair and the government will have a
positive role in the current food crisis. The local authority of the Bagerhat area has given IN Network full
support to help its people, who are still suffering since the Sidr cyclone
struck their area last November.
IN Network runs three educational facilities in Bangladesh
which provide meals, medical care, clothing, and a Christian education for
their students. Bethany Children's
Village and Savar Children's Village also provide housing for over 450
residential students. Dhaka Slum
Children's Ministry and other schools provide education for children in four
different slums.
Twenty boys at Bethany Children's Home recently professed
faith in Christ, as well as a young Buddhist girl of Savar Village. All of these young believers are now
attending pre-baptism classes.
The ministry is also in the process of planting a new
church, Bethel Church IN Savar, at Savar Children's Village. IN Network plans to plant two more churches
in Bethany and Naogoan villages in 2008 and 2009. Full-time evangelists working in the area
play a role in these efforts.
IN also runs a Bible college, two kindergartens, vocational
training for women, and a mother and childcare clinic in Bangladesh,
which is one of the poorest and most densely populated countries in the world. Islam is the state religion, and Islamic
extremists are growing strong. Pray that
the Gospel will shine brightly in this country suffering from political and
economic crisis.
Click here to support the ministries of IN Network in Bangladesh.
