Even though
persecution against Christians in Bangladesh is on the rise, so is the number
of Muslims converting to Christianity in the south Asian nation. Just as in
other countries where the population is dominated by a Muslim majority
government, Christians in Bangladesh are at risk of being killed or persecuted
because of their faith in Jesus Christ. But while nearly 90 percent of
Bangladesh's population of 165 million people is Muslim, Christianity is
gaining traction. According to the human rights organization Christian Freedom
International, it is estimated that as many as 91,000 Muslims across Bangladesh
have converted to Christianity in the last six years, even though apostasy in
many Muslim cultures is punishable by death. Pastor Faruk al-Ahmed, a Christian
convert from Islam who has been preaching since the mid-1990s, personally
attested to the rise of Christianity in his own community in Northern
Bangladesh during an interview with the British news site Express. "When I
began my ministry in Kurigram, there was only one traditional Christian family
and one Muslim background family," the pastor explained. "Now, almost
1,500 believers from Muslim backgrounds are glorifying God in this area."
"Persecution will come more but the believers and I are ready to face
it," al-Ahmed added. The number of Christians in Bangladesh is estimated
at 1.6 million, which comprises around 1 percent of the country's total
population. Despite reports that Christianity is growing in the country, CFI
emphasizes that Christians are forced to keep their worship activities
secretive to prevent "retaliations" for their faith. According to a
report in Christian Post.