02/22/2024 Bangladesh (International Christian Concern) – Elections for a new prime minister in Bangladesh resulted in less than 40% voter turnout on Jan. 8. Sheikh Hasina, the winner, previously ruled Bangladesh between 1996 and 2001, returning to power in 2009. The 2024 election marks the beginning of Hasina’s fourth consecutive term and fifth overall. Hasina is in the Awami League political party, which also won nearly 75% of the congressional seats.
The opposition, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), boycotted the election, loudly protesting what they deemed “a sham election.” Throughout 2023, the government arrested tens of thousands of leaders in the BNP party, leading to a severe depletion of potential candidates. Horrendous conditions in the prisons have resulted in the death of at least nine BNP leaders in the final three months of 2023.
Despite these factors, Hasina insisted the election was “free, fair, and neutral” and that her win was a “victory of the people.”
The constitution of Bangladesh declares Islam as the official religion, yet leaders like Hasina claim the principle of secularism. Christians make up less than 1% of the country’s population and, in turn, face discrimination based on their status as a minority. Multiple global NGOs have reported cases of harassment and violence against Christians and other religious minorities throughout the country. Examples of this persecution include mob attacks on places of worship and violence against individuals.
The latest United States International Religious Freedom Report documents several examples of Christian converts facing discrimination from an apparent discrepancy between their name and their religion. It is common in Bangladesh for parents to name their children with traditional religious names. If a person is found to have a traditionally Hindu name and is a practicing Christian, many Bangladeshis are offended and react poorly.
Conditions for religious freedom in Bangladesh are manageable on the surface. The commitment to secularism and the effort to maintain freedom to practice religion is apparent. However, the continued harassment of Christians based on cultural norms and the transition towards authoritarian rule raises concerns for Christians in Bangladesh.
We pray that the rule of Prime Minister Hasina will be one of continued pursuit of religious freedom and democracy. We pray that authorities in Bangladesh will be more vigilant in protecting religious minorities from violence and harassment. We pray for the bravery of the Christian community in Bangladesh.
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