Sutradhar (Muslim traditions) in Bangladesh


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* From latest Bangladesh census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.

Introduction / History

Carpentry has been the traditional source of livelihood for the Sutradhar community. They straddle the worlds of the high caste Brahmins and that of artisans. In India they provide intricate carvings for Hindu temples. Like many people groups in South Asia, the Sutradhars were all Hindu at one time, but some converted to Islam, splitting the community in two. Needless to say, the Muslims among them no longer work with Hindu temples. They are more likely to design furniture in Bangladesh, a Muslim majority country to the east of India. Their population in Bangladesh is much smaller than it is in India.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Sutradhar people in Bangladesh seldom have access to modern wood-working tools. They make furniture and other goods the same way as their fathers and grandfathers.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Sutradhar people who are Sunni Muslims believe that the supreme God, Allah, spoke through his prophet, Mohammed, and taught mankind how to live a righteous life through the Koran and the Hadith. To live a righteous life, you must utter the Shahada (a statement of faith), pray five times a day facing Mecca, fast from sunup to sundown during the month of Ramadan, give alms to the poor, and make a pilgrimage to Mecca if you have the means. Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol, eating pork, gambling, stealing, slandering, and making idols. They gather for corporate prayer on Friday afternoons at a mosque, their place of worship.
The two main holidays for Sunni Muslims are Eid al Fitr, the breaking of the monthly fast and Eid al Adha, the celebration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah.
Sunni religious practices are staid and simple. They believe Allah has pre-determined our fates; they minimize free will.
In most of the Muslim world, common people depend on the spirit world for their daily needs since they regard Allah as too distant. Allah may determine their eternal salvation, but the spirits determine how well they live on a daily basis. For that reason, some Muslims appease spirits using charms and amulets to help them with spiritual forces. More orthodox Muslims consider these practices heretical and un-Islamic.


What Are Their Needs?

Muslim Sutradhar people need to be given the chance to hear the life-changing gospel so they can enjoy life to the full.


Prayer Points

Pray for loving gospel workers to catch a vision for reaching the Sutradhar people for Jesus and that in God's sovereign timing the hearts of these people would be open and ready to follow him.
Pray for Jesus movements to bless extended families so the gospel will spread rapidly.
Pray for the spiritual lives of the Sutradhar people to become fruitful so others will be drawn to Jesus Christ.


Scripture Prayers for the Sutradhar (Muslim traditions) in Bangladesh.


References

https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/17686/IN
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutradhar_(caste)


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Sutradhar (Muslim traditions)
People Name in Country Sutradhar (Muslim traditions)
Pronunciation SOO-trahd-har
Alternate Names Kalita; सूत्रधार (मुस्लिम ट्रेडिशन्स)
Population this Country 15,000
Population all Countries 56,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 17686
ROP3 Code 113131
ROP25 Code 307775
ROP25 Name Sutradhar
Country Bangladesh
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 26  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States on file 7
Largest States
Dhaka
4,600
Chittagong
3,100
Rangpur
1,900
Barisal
1,800
Rajshahi
1,400
Sylhet
1,000
Khulna
1,000
Country Bangladesh
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 26  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States 7
  Dhaka 4,600
  Chittagong 3,100
  Rangpur 1,900
  Barisal 1,800
  Rajshahi 1,400
  Sylhet 1,000
  Khulna 1,000
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Islam
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
100.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
* From latest Bangladesh census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Bengali (13,000 speakers)
Language Code ben   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 3
Secondary Languages
Chittagonian
900
Sylheti
800
Primary Language Bengali (13,000 speakers)
Language Code ben   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 3
Secondary Languages
  Chittagonian 900
  Sylheti 800
People Groups Speaking Bengali

Primary Language:  Bengali

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1800-1980)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1801-1984)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1809-2022)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
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Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Online Audio Scripture Talking Bibles
Audio Recordings Oral Bible stories One Story
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Following Jesus video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Love Story General / Other
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Bengali Jesus Film Project
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Rivka video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
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General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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