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People group profile · PG001187

The Mahale of Bangladesh

The Mahale of Bangladesh, numbering about 25,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Munda-speaking people who migrated from Jharkhand's Dumka district to Bangladesh's northern districts in the early 1900s, sharing twelve clans and 80 percent language similarity with the neighboring Santal, traditionally skilled in bamboo basketry.

They are an indigenous people in the Munda-Santal people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Protestantism, and they primarily speak Santali.

Pray for the MahalePrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Mahale people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3 Flash: Mahale

Fast facts

Country
Bangladesh
Population
25,000
Affinity group
South Asian Peoples
People cluster
Munda-Santal
Primary language
Santali (sat)
Primary religion
Protestantism
Strategic Progress Index ?
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
30% or Greater but Less than 40%
GSEC ?
10% or Greater Evangelical
Lostness priority ?
Significantly Reached People Group
Region
Southern Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Mahale are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 10% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Mahale

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Protestantism · Christianity

39% adherents

Primary language

Santali · Austroasiatic family

100% speak Santali

Gospel resources in Santali

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

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

Pray for the Mahale

  1. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  2. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
  3. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  4. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.

Download a prayer guide

Mahale in other countries

The same people is also reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
MahliIndia557,000Engaged yet Unreached

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