Barnabas Aid contacts have requested prayer after four Christians were detained by Muslim leaders in northern Bangladesh.
The four believers were preaching the Gospel on 27 February when a crowd intervened. Video posted on social media shows one of the Christians being tied up by a group of Muslim men.
The four were detained by police but have now been released.
A church building in Bangladesh [Image credit: Rashed Ali / Wikipedia]
Our contacts report that police officers at first demanded a bribe in order to release the four men, refusing to do so when they explained that they had no money.
After the police learned that the Muslim group was reportedly seeking to kill the men, however, they were released. By God’s grace, all four believers were able to return home safely.
Christians represent less than 1% of the population of Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Along with Hindus they are vulnerable to harassment and persecution at the hands of Islamist extremists.
In 2025 Barnabas Aid contacts reported that a Bangladeshi pastor and his family had been subjected to a campaign of violence and intimidation designed to force them to convert to Islam. The pastor’s daughter was held hostage for three months, during which time she was sexually abused.
How you can pray
Praise the Lord for the willingness of our brothers to share the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please pray for their protection, courage and continued faithfulness as they make Him known in a difficult and hostile environment.
