Praise God for the release of a Christian in Bangladesh

Praise God for the release of a Christian in Bangladesh!

In late 2023, Akram*, a Bangladeshi Christian who was a convert from Islam, was arrested.

He’d been falsely accused of both conducting anti-government activities and of converting poor Muslims—and of slandering the Prophet Muhammad.

This story would be tragic enough; but it’s made worse that the people who filed the accusations were also the ones who had beaten up Akram’s family a week earlier. Akram’s daughter, son and mother were attacked by their Muslim neighbors. They had to be cared for at the hospital because of the injuries they sustained during the violence. Akram filed an official complaint against the attacker; the police did nothing.

But when they arrived home from the hospital, Akram was arrested.

Persecution is nothing new for Akram and his family. Ever since they accepted the truth of Jesus, they have been persecuted and pressured to renounce their faith by both the local Muslim community and their extended family members.

When Akram was arrested, the pressure continued. His family lived in constant fear of another attack. At night, people would throw stones on their roof to scare the family while they were sleeping. Plus, since Akram is the only person earning an income to care for his family, they faced food insecurity and a lack of safety.

While he was in jail, the situation grew desperate. “The children are crying and asking every day to bring their father back home,” Akram’s wife told our local partners. “We are living without food. Because of the tension and fear, we could not eat and sleep. I do not know what to do, or where to go to bring my husband back home. Please help us.”

Thanks to your gifts and prayers, Open Doors local partners were able to visit the family and work with them to provide practical aid and legal assistance to get Akram released from jail.

Praise God, since then, Akram has been released on bail! And he is grateful for the prayers of Christians around the world.

“I am thankful to all of you for continuously praying for me and for supporting my family in my absence,” he told our local partners. “You supported my wife with encouragement and prayers and supported my family with food. Because of your support, my wife was able to protect and carry our family burdens. Thank you very much for whatever you have been doing for us.”

When he returned home, Akram’s children couldn’t stop hugging him and holding his hand, making up for the time lost with their dad. Currently, Akram is looking forward to a full recovery, mentally and physically, as he went through a tough time in jail.

Akram asks us to continue praying for him and his family, that they would be able to forgive those who accused him and wanted to harm them. used

*representative image used

please pray

Our local partners tell us this is how we can pray with Akram and his family:

Pray for Akram’s full recovery—both mentally and physically. Pray that he would be able to heal quickly from the mental trauma and physical pain and get back to his normal life.
Pray for all of the family members … that through this incident, they will be more trusting in the Lord and be faithful to Him for whatever He has done for them.
Pray that this violence and persecution will not lead them to leave their faith in Jesus, but that they will be stronger in faith and grow spiritually.
Pray that God will give the family forgiving hearts toward their persecutors.
Ask God to continue to provide for the family as they seek to rebuild financially from the imprisonment and false accusations.
Pray for other Christians in Bangladesh, particularly those who have converted from Islam, that God will keep them safe and they will know they are prayed for by a Body of Christ around the world.

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