Bangladesh Church History

The 1700s marked a period of gradual growth for Christianity in Bangladesh. The Portuguese had established a foothold in the region as early as the 16th century, and by the 1700s, Roman Catholicism had taken root among certain ethnic groups, notably the Garo and Lushai. The Portuguese influence was particularly strong in areas like Chittagong, where they were allowed to build churches.

The late 1700s witnessed a new wave of Christian influence with the arrival of Protestant missionaries. This period was significant for the translation and dissemination of Christian texts in Bengali. William Carey’s arrival in Serampore in 1793 was particularly noteworthy. He established a mission that focused on education, social reform, and translating the Bible into Bengali and other regional languages, which had a profound impact on the spread of Christianity.

William Carey

When Englishman William Carey (1761–1834) arrived in India in 1793, it marked a major milestone in the history of Christian missions and India. Carey established the Serampore Mission—the first modern Protestant mission in the non-English-speaking world—near Calcutta on January 10, 1800.1 From this base, he labored for nearly a quarter century to spread the gospel throughout the land. In the end, his triumph was spectacular. India was transformed through his unfailing love for the people of India and his relentless campaign against “the spiritual forces of evil” (Eph. 6:12). Asian historian Hugh Tinker summarizes Carey’s impact on India this way: “And so in Serampore, on the banks of the river Hooghly, the principal elements of modern South Asia—the press, the university, social consciousness—all came to light.