Bangladesh (MNN) — It has been six months since an interim government was formed in Bangladesh following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. There is still debate over whether Hasina has officially resigned.
Even so, the interim government is seeking more power, and Bangladesh’s future is uncertain as the international community questions if it could become the next failed state.
A crowded street in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital city. (Photo courtesy of Niloy Biswas/Unsplash)
“Chaos has continued,” emphasizes Bruce Allen with FMI. “Initially, people thought there would be elections held with new candidates put forth by the political parties within three months. But then the interim government was saying, ‘No, we might want to hang on to power for three to five years.’”
Violence and social unrest have continued as political factions clash. With so much anger boiling over, minorities become an easy punching bag. “You know, it’s kind of like kicking the lowest rung on the social ladder,” Allen says.
Bangladesh’s interim government has made at least 100 arrests in connection to attacks on religious and indigenous groups, according to a UN fact-finding team.
Pastors in Bangladesh are telling FMI about attacks targeting Christians who make up less than 1% of the population.
Allen reports, “Pastor Rajiv – one of our partners and, in fact, one of the members of our leadership team in Bangladesh – was attacked and his property set on fire.
“A few weeks prior to that, his two dogs were poisoned and killed. He had these dogs on the premises to protect his family and his property.”
Please pray for Christians in Bangladesh, even amidst the chaos, to win over their neighbors and persecutors with Gospel truth.
Header photo courtesy of FMI.
