Christianity is Bangladesh's fourth most followed religion, accounting approximately 0.3% (roughly 488,583) of the nation's population. Together with Buddhism (and other minority groups such as Atheism, Sikhism, Jainism, the Bahá'í Faith and others), Christianity accounts for 1% of the population. Most Christians in Bangladesh adhere to Roman Catholicism and Protestant denominations. The Christian population is primarily composed of Bengali Christians and members of various indigenous ethnic minorities.
History
The introduction and development of Christianity in South Asia can be traced back to several periods, with the help of several countries and denominations. The earliest connection to Christianity has traditionally been linked back to the arrival of the Apostle Thomas to the Malabar Coast during the first century, in 52 A.D. According to tradition, the Apostle had managed to convert several thousands of Hindu Brahmins, as they were "attracted" to the lifestyle and were "impressed" by Jesus' sacrifice.
Christianity did not have a presence in Bangladesh until the arrival of the Portuguese in 1510 with individuals like Alfonso de Albuquerque and Portuguese missionaries. 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.In 1672, Dome Antonio da Rozari, a young Bengali convert, had managed to convert 20,000 low-caste and discriminated Hindus into Christianity. 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.
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.
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. British missionaries had also developed Christian newspapers (such as "Digdarshan", "The Gospel Magazine", and "The Christian Mohila") in an effort to spread the gospel.
In more recent times, the rise of Christianity in Bangladesh can be credited to Christian NGOs and charities, who provided humanitarian work after the Independence War in 1971. 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.
History of Churches The first church (in present-day Bangladesh) was officially inaugurated in Jessore, erstwhile Chandecan (now Jessore). 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.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
The second church was financially supported by the Arakanese King and was built by Andre Boves on 24 June 1600. This church was built in Chittagong and was called "St. John the Baptist Church".
In 1601, the third church was built by Dominicans in the south-east of Chittagong. Eventually these churches were burnt down from attacks by Arakanese buddhists.
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". Carey had arrived in Bangladesh in 1773, where he was financially supported by the Baptist Missionary Society to carry out missionary work. Carey believed his success as a missionary, was due to him learning the Bengali language and therefore being able to translate the gospel.
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 translation that same year and was also appointed as a professor at Fort William College. Carey, with the assistance of Joshua Marshman and William Ward created Serampore College.
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. These mission-run schools would often attract students with scholarships and accommodation.
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.
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 Calcutta and Bengal to educate females.
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.
First Christian martyr Father Francisco Fernandez was the first Bengali Christian martyr; he died on 14 November 1602. He was murdered because he had attempted to save Christian women and children from being captured as slaves by Arakanese Buddhists. He was detained, chained, tortured and beaten to death by Arakanese forces.
Geographical distribution
According to 2022 census, Christianity is followed by 488,583 (0.3%) people in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi Christians mainly belong to Santal, Garo, Khasi, Oraon, Bom, Khyang, Panko, Lushei and other tribes. Some Bengali Christians also live in Dhaka, Gazipur, Chittagong, Barisal, Sylhet and surrounding areas.
Upazila District Division Percentage of ChristianityRuma UpazilaBandarban DistrictChittagong Division 37.32%Thanchi UpazilaBandarban DistrictChittagong Division 34.43%Rowangchhari UpazilaBandarban DistrictChittagong Division 17.83%Rajasthali UpazilaRangamati Hill DistrictChittagong Division 10.83%Belaichhari UpazilaRangamati Hill DistrictChittagong Division 9.60%Alikadam UpazilaBandarban DistrictChittagong Division 6.51%Lama UpazilaBandarban DistrictChittagong Division 6.24%Bandarban Sadar UpazilaBandarban DistrictChittagong Division 5.83%Tanore UpazilaRajshahi DistrictRajshahi Division 5.69%Kaliganj UpazilaGazipur DistrictDhaka Division 5.41%Ghoraghat UpazilaDinajpur DistrictRangpur Division 5.40%Mujibnagar UpazilaMeherpur DistrictKhulna Division 4.73%Dhobaura UpazilaMymensingh DistrictMymensingh Division 4.68%Madhupur UpazilaTangail DistrictDhaka Division 4.28%Haluaghat UpazilaMymensingh DistrictMymensingh Division 3.84%Godagari UpazilaRajshahi DistrictRajshahi Division 3.83%Durgapur UpazilaNetrokona DistrictMymensingh Division 3.68%Dhamoirhat UpazilaNaogaon DistrictRajshahi Division 3.09%Mongla UpazilaBagerhat DistrictKhulna Division 3.02%Nawabganj UpazilaDinajpur DistrictRangpur Division 3.00%Birampur UpazilaDinajpur DistrictRangpur Division 2.95%Kalmakanda UpazilaNetrokona DistrictMymensingh Division 2.87%Dacope UpazilaKhulna DistrictKhulna Division 2.12%Agailjhara UpazilaBarisal DistrictBarisal Division 2.12%Patnitala UpazilaNaogaon DistrictRajshahi Division 2.09%Fulbari UpazilaDinajpur DistrictRangpur Division 2.04%Nachole UpazilaChapainawabganj DistrictRajshahi Division 2.03%Baraigram UpazilaNatore DistrictRajshahi Division 1.90%Jhenaigati UpazilaSherpur DistrictMymensingh Division 1.79%Niamatpur UpazilaNaogaon DistrictRajshahi Division 1.78%Khagrachhari Sadar UpazilaKhagrachhari DistrictChittagong Division 1.75%Kulaura UpazilaMoulvibazar DistrictSylhet Division 1.70%Birganj UpazilaDinajpur DistrictRangpur Division 1.54%Panchbibi UpazilaJoypurhat DistrictRajshahi Division 1.43%Bochaganj UpazilaDinajpur DistrictRangpur Division 1.43%Hakimpur UpazilaDinajpur DistrictRangpur Division 1.36%Porsha UpazilaNaogaon DistrictRajshahi Division 1.35%Sreemangal UpazilaMoulvibazar DistrictSylhet Division 1.33%Nawabganj UpazilaDhaka DistrictDhaka Division 1.29%Nalitabari UpazilaSherpur DistrictMymensingh Division 1.27%Atwari UpazilaPanchagarh DistrictRangpur Division 1.09%Kaptai UpazilaRangamati Hill DistrictChittagong Division 1.02%Madhyanagar UpazilaSunamganj DistrictSylhet Division 1.02%Dinajpur Sadar UpazilaDinajpur DistrictRangpur Division 1.01%Pirganj UpazilaThakurgaon DistrictRangpur Division 1.00%Others <1%
Contributions
Christians in Bangladesh have historically played a significant role in education and healthcare. They established some of the country's well-known schools, colleges, and hospitals.
Having worked in Bangladesh as a missionary since 1952, Richard William Timm belonging to the Congregation of Holy Cross 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 Bangladesh on relief efforts.
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.
Persecution With the rise of Islamic fundamentalist movements, Christians in Bangladesh often face the pressure from Islamist terrorist groups due to persecution and harassment from the wider Muslim community. In 2019, several churches, such as Mohandi Assemblies of God church, were either burnt down or destroyed. To be safe from such attacks and to prevent such incidents, Christians would gather in secret or in small houses to practice their religion. Additionally, in 2020, it is alleged that several Christians were detained by police for "unlawful conversion".
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.Open Doors website, Retrieved 8 August 2022 Persecution of Christians in Bangladesh has since intensified at the hands of radical Islamists and extremist Muslims. In May 2024, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made allegations of a Christian plot to "carve out" an independent Christian country in Bangladesh and Myanmar. The Archbishop of Dhaka, Bejoy Nicephorus D'Cruze, categorically denied the allegations.
In 2023, the country was scored 2 out of 4 for religious freedom.Freedom House, Retrieved 8 August 2024.
Other attacks on Christians On 3 June 2001, there was a bomb attack during a rally in a Catholic church located in Baniarchor; the attack had killed nine individuals. 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. In 2016, a Christian businessman named Sunil Gomes was hacked to death. On 1 July 2016, 7 Italian citizens were killed during Holey Artisan attack.