People group profile · PG041640
The Mahimal of Bangladesh
The Mahimal of Bangladesh, numbering about 178,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an inland Muslim fishing caste of the Sylhet-Cachar borderlands converted through the efforts of Sufi saint Shah Jalal, historically stigmatized by upper-caste Ashraf Muslims for their ancestral trade and now largely turned to marginal farming.
They are an indigenous people in the Bihari people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Sylheti.
Fast facts
- Country
- Bangladesh
- Population
- 178,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Bihari
- Primary language
- Sylheti (syl)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Mahimal 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, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Mahimal
- 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
Sunni Islam · Islam
99% adherents
Primary language
Sylheti · Indo-European family
100% speak Sylheti
Gospel resources in Sylheti
- Bible available, published 2014
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories available
Bibles
- 2014 Edition · video, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Mahimal
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
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