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People group profile · PG001162

The Chakmas of Bangladesh

The Chakmas of Bangladesh, numbering about 491,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a scheduled tribe of India, Tripura, Mizoram, Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal, also in Bangladesh, southeast, Chittagong Hills.

They are an indigenous people in the South Asian Tribal people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Buddhism, and they primarily speak Chakma.

Pray for the ChakmasPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Chakmas people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash: Chakma

Fast facts

Country
Bangladesh
Population
491,000
Affinity group
South Asian Peoples
People cluster
South Asian Tribal
Primary language
Chakma (ccp)
Primary religion
Folk Buddhism
Strategic Progress Index
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, Dispersed CP Activity
Lostness priority
Expanding Unreached People Group
Region
Southern Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Chakmas are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical but there has been dispersed church planting among them within the past two years.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years Dispersed Church Planting

Next steps for the Chakmas

  • Continue prayer and fasting for this group
  • Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
  • Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Primary religion

Folk Buddhism · Buddhism

80% adherents

Primary language

Chakma · Indo-European family

100% speak Chakma

Gospel resources in Chakma

  • Bible available, published 2021
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Bibles

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Chakmas

  1. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
  2. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  3. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  4. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.

Download a prayer guide

Chakma in other countries

The same people (ROP3 101976) is reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
ChakmasIndia207,000No Longer Unreached

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