Risking it all for Jesus in Bangladesh

For 11-year-old Robin*, Christmas is a small, bright light in a world that often feels dark and lonely. It’s a day for new clothes and gathering at church with a heart full of excitement. It’s the joy of cutting a cake together, wearing a bright red Christmas hat and singing carols with other children—a rare day of belonging for the young boy in Bangladesh.

But most days are not Christmas. Most days, Robin is known by a different name.

At school and around his village, he is not Robin. He is simply “the Christian.”

Just recently, when a classmate sat beside Robin at school, another boy rebuked him. “Why are you sitting with him?” he demanded. “He’s not a Muslim, he’s a Christian.”

The words hung in the air, creating an invisible wall around Robin. Not one of his 20 classmates would sit beside him. The bench he sat on remained empty.

Robin has learned to be quiet. Soft-spoken and gentle, he doesn’t fight back. “I feel sad when they treat me like this,” he says graciously. “But I will never do the same to them, because as a believer, we should not hurt others, even if they hurt us.”

His world has become very small. In his village, he has only two friends willing to play with him. Often, he finds himself on the edge of a field, alone, watching other children laugh and run.

“Sometimes when I walk in the street or sit in the field watching others play,” Robin says softly, “they look at me but don’t say anything or invite me to play with them. I want to play too, but I can’t even ask them out of fear. I just sit there and feel very lonely.”

This is all Robin remembers now; this is his life. Things would have been different if his mother’s curiosity hadn’t led her to an intriguing book.

Watch Robin's Video


 

‘Ask and it will be given to you’

Robin’s mother Moly* has always loved to read. One day, she saw a neighbour carrying a book she’d never seen before—and her curiosity was sparked. When Moly asked about it, the neighbour hesitated, knowing full well the answer could get her in trouble. It was the Kitabul Mukaddas—the Bible. Unsure of Moly’s motives, the woman was reluctant to share it. But Moly was persistent. Finally, the woman handed Moly the Bible to keep the woman's relentless curiosity at bay.

That night, Moly opened the book and read from Matthew 7:7-8: “Ask, and it will be given to you…” She was amazed that there was a God who would listen to her prayers and give her what she asked. The next day, she asked her neighbour to take her to the Jamaat (church). Moly kept going to church and secretly reading the Bible, often opening to random passages.

Not long after, Moly fell desperately ill. She remembered the verse she had read on that first night. That evening, she prayed and asked God for healing. When she woke the next morning, she was completely well. That day, she gave her life to Christ. She eagerly shared her testimony with her husband, Jubayer*, and by God’s grace, he, too, came to believe.

But their newfound joy was short-lived.

After the Prime Minister of Bangladesh was ousted in August 2024, political chaos erupted in the country. Some radical Muslims felt emboldened to take advantage of the situation and target religious minorities—including Christians. Converts from Islam (believers like Moly, Jubayer and Robin) in rural areas were particularly vulnerable.

A local extremist group began a campaign against Robin's family and 10 other Christian families. The group printed and distributed leaflets in the local market, accusing them by name of converting Muslims by offering money.

The accusations had a swift impact. One morning around 11:00 am, a furious mob of 40 to 50 people led by five local imams (Muslim religious leaders) and the elected ward chairman descended on their small house church. At least 20 women were in the mob, specifically there to intimidate the believers’ wives and children.

Someone from the village saw the mob coming and sent a warning to the gathered Christians. The believers fled just in time. When the angry mob arrived and found the church empty, their fury grew. In their rage, they destroyed the house church and burned every Bible they could find.
 

A family torn apart

This attack shattered Moly’s family. Moly and Robin fled to her mother’s house. But Jubayer, shocked and under immense pressure from his family and community, went back to his father’s house and returned to Islam.
Soon after, he began demanding that Moly and Robin do the same. He gave his wife a cruel ultimatum: renounce her faith and return to Islam to live with his parents or face divorce.

Moly stood firm, refusing to turn away from the Christ who had healed her. As he had threatened, Jubayer divorced her, leaving her and their son with nothing.
“I miss my father,” Robin shares, “but I have my mother who takes care of me.”

Moly, now a single mother, lives with quiet strength. Her husband’s family continues to pressure her, but she knows the salvation she has received is far more precious than anything she has lost.

She raises her son alone. She doesn’t have much, but she does have her unwavering faith in Jesus. That is her most precious gift to Robin. With no Sunday school in their area, Moly is Robin’s Bible teacher and his constant source of hope. She studies Bible stories with him, helps him memorize Scripture and teaches her son what it means to follow Jesus.

She taught him Colossians 2:3, a verse he now holds tightly in his heart. “Wisdom comes from Jesus,” Robin explains. “My mother prays for me every day to receive that wisdom.”
 

The hope of Christmas

Today, Moly’s brother, a humble day laborer, carries the burden of providing for all of them. Their financial situation is desperate, and Robin’s education was at risk because Moly could not afford to pay his school fees much longer. His father has refused to provide any financial help, leaving them completely vulnerable.

Through local partners and your support, Open Doors was able to step in to help with the family’s food and educational expenses, ensuring Moly and her son are not left hungry, and that Robin is still able to attend school.

Things are still hard for Moly and Robin. They live with her parents in a majority-Muslim village. Robin often feels isolated because he has no other Christian friends there. This year, he and his mother were thrilled to be invited to the Easter celebration organized by Open Doors' local partners. There, Robin received a children’s Bible that he now holds dear. This was an unforgettable day for them—a day they could let their guard down and interact freely with other believers. The same thing happens at Christmas when Robin can worship freely with other believers and take a break from the stress of living as a Christian in rural Bangladesh.

From practical help to spiritual nourishment, for believers like Moly and Robin, Open Doors’ support is a tangible reminder that they are seen, they are loved, and they are not forgotten by their global Christian family.