CV NEWS FEED // The CEO of a Christian organization dedicated to supporting persecuted Christians around the world told CatholicVote that Christians in Bangladesh are facing increasing violence in a time of political upheaval.
Ryan Brown, the CEO of Open Doors US, explained in an exclusive interview that as a minority religion in Bangladesh, making up 0.6% of the population, Christians are targeted “not necessarily because of their faith in Jesus, but because of their identity as Christians.” He said that the political upheaval accelerates and magnifies tensions that are already present between different religious groups.
Brown explained that many Christians, especially converts, also face persecution because religion is deeply tied to familial and community identity.
“It’s not just seen as a choosing of a different religious faith or structure, but it’s actually seen as a rejection of that community identity, a rejection of that familial identity,” he said.
Bangladeshi Christians face violence, attacks on their homes and businesses, and theft. Brown said that the form of persecution can depend on gender. Men “can be targeted for very public displays and include physical violence, that can include destruction of property and those types of things.” Women’s persecution, however, “tends to look a little bit more private, and you can often see instances of rape or assault dramatically increase during these time periods.”
Brown mentioned the story of a girl and her mother who hid for hours in a corner of their home while vandals invaded and looted it. Other Christians have had their livestock taken from them and been forced off of their land.
Each year, Open Doors publishes a World Watch List, a report of the top 50 most dangerous countries for Christians to live in. Bangladesh is now the 26th country on the list. In 2021, it was the 31st country on the report.
