Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Meeting the needs of some of the hungry, ill, illiterate and unemployed Bangladeshis is the best way to bless the country, Mark Munshi, executive director of the Christian Service Society, told Religion Today . Christians can worship in their churches, but public preaching is forbidden in the Muslim nation. Some have been jailed for evangelizing, he said.
Christians are a tiny minority in Bangladesh, east of India.
About 86 percent of the127 million people are Muslim, and Islam is the state religion. There are only 260 churches. It is poor, overpopulated and suffers periodic catastrophes such as floods and cyclones that destroy crops and leave thousands of people dead. Churches are making a difference, Munshi said. The Dhaka-based CSS works through local congregations to provide health care, education and small loans so people can start their own businesses, he said.