People group profile · PG048703
The Rakkain of Bangladesh
The Rakkain of Bangladesh, numbering about 34,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Theravada Buddhist people descended from the Arakan kingdom of Mrauk U, who migrated into Bangladesh's coastal Cox's Bazar and Patuakhali districts following Burma's eighteenth-century conquest of Arakan.
They are an indigenous people in the Burmese people cluster of the Southeast Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Theravada Buddhism, and they primarily speak Rakhine.
Fast facts
- Country
- Bangladesh
- Population
- 34,500
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Burmese
- Primary language
- Rakhine (rki)
- Primary religion
- Theravada Buddhism
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, Concentrated CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Rakkain 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 initial or concentrated church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years Concentrated Church Planting
Next steps for the Rakkain
- 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
Theravada Buddhism · Buddhism
100% adherents
Primary language
Rakhine · Sino-Tibetan family
100% speak Rakhine
Gospel resources in Rakhine
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Rakhine)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Rakkain
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
Rakkain in other countries
The same people is also reported in 3 other countries.
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