BANGLADESH: ‘I COULD NOT TURN AWAY FROM THE ONE WHO SAVED ME’

A Christian in Bangladesh says he ‘cannot turn away from the One who saved me’, despite relentless pressure to renounce his faith, including separation from his family.

Anis* has been a believer for ten years, having converted from a Muslim background. He serves as a local evangelist through the ministry of a local partner. Over the years, he and his family have encountered various forms of opposition for their faith.

The hostility has intensified in recent weeks after a group of local Islamic extremists came to Anis’ home and confronted him about his faith. He was later called to a meeting with local leaders. Despite intense pressure to renounce his faith, he stood firm, but it put him in imminent danger, forcing him to flee.

“I could not deny the Lord. I could not turn away from the One who saved me,” Anis shares. “I knew that staying there was no longer safe, but leaving my home and family was extremely painful. I know that God is watching over my family under His wings, and even my ten-year-old son has a faith that will not be shaken by any storm.

“Yet as a father, my heart is in great pain because I cannot be with them during this difficult time. I also know that our Father in Heaven sees everything that is happening. He is watching over us, and I trust that He has not forgotten my family in this difficult time.”

Unable to return to his village, Anis is currently staying in town with another believer, but there isn’t enough room for his family. His wife and son are instead staying at his father-in-law’s house. 

Father forced to sign paper

The situation further escalated when local Muslim leaders visited Anis’ elderly father. They forced him to sign a blank sheet of paper and warned him that, if he supported his son or allowed him to return to the village, the entire family would be expelled.

There is also growing concern for the wider community of believers in the area. An Islamic leader in Dhaka is believed to hold a list containing the names of believers from Anis’ region, raising fears that other believers are at risk.

“The situation is very serious,” shares a local ministry leader. “Anis has been forced to leave his home, his family has been separated, and his father has been pressured into signing a blank paper. We are trying to help him find a safe place and make wise decisions. He and his family urgently need prayer, protection and practical support.”

Anis is looking for a rental house in the town where he is currently staying. If he can secure this, he hopes to have a safe place for his family to live.