The removal of Sheikh Hasina as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister a 12 months ago has unleashed a wave of anti-Christian violence within the country, and strengthened the hand of those that wish to show the country into an Islamic state, Open Doors fears.
It reports that greater than 100 families have been pressured into renouncing Christ, while there have been a minimum of 36 attacks on Christians or Christian property. Christians and other religious minorities are sometimes accused of being supporters of the Awami League (AL), the political party of Sheikh Hasina.
An anonymous local source told Open Doors, “Changes in political power can often lead to attacks on religious minorities and the confiscation of their property. Some Muslim leaders are portraying Christians as enemies and promoting the concept of creating a 100 per cent Islamic state.
“This agenda includes converting Christians back to Islam and targeting church leaders and families to instil fear and pressure them to surrender their faith.”
Since the collapse of the Hasina government, quite a lot of Islamist groups like Hefazat-e-Islam and Hizb ut-Tahrir have increased in power. There have been renewed efforts to convert minorities to Islam, sometimes forcefully, in addition to moves to introduce punitive blasphemy laws.
One man described an anti-Christian attack, “At around 5:30pm a bunch of extremists destroyed and looted my decorations shop. They also threatened to kill me.
“I got to know that the explanation for this destruction was because I’m a follower of Jesus Christ.”
There have been reports of attacks and vandalism on churches and other religious buildings. Police and native authorities often do little to handle the situation, says Open Doors.
Another anonymous local told Open Doors, “The lack of justice and accountability for perpetrators of persecution further exacerbates the situation.
“False teaching and misinformation about Christianity perpetuated by some Muslims contribute to a culture of hatred and discrimination against non-Muslims. Some Muslims intentionally spread falsehoods about Christianity, resulting in a distorted perception of the faith and fostering animosity towards its followers.”
The same individual said that if Islamist parties do well within the forthcoming elections, then the situation for Christians within the country is prone to deteriorate still further.
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