2016-07-27
Aug. 9 - Two men showing the evangelistic "JESUS" film for Christian Life Bangladesh were killed in Faridpur, according to a statement released by Campus Crusade for Christ, a partner agency of Christian Life.

Lipial Marandi, 21, and Tapan Kumar Roy, 27, were stabbed to death at 2 a.m. on July 29 by intruders who had broken into their rental house, according to local police.

Police have arrested two men in connection with the killings.

Marandi and Roy had been in Faridpur for eight months conducting health awareness programs and showing the two-hour docudrama, based on the Gospel of Luke, about Christ. The film has been translated into hundreds of languages as an evangelistic tool, and has been shown in every country in the world, according to Campus Crusade for Christ.

The men had received death threats in connection with their work, according to the release.

In April 2003, another Christian Life worker in Bangladesh, Hridoy Roy, who is no relation to Tapan Kumar Roy, was killed. No one has been convicted in connection with Hridoy Roy's murder.

"We express our deepest sympathies to the families of Lipial and Tapan," said Thomas Abraham, vice president of Asia Campus Crusade for Christ. "We are saddened by the hatred of those who would commit such acts of violence."

Abraham also said the recent murders demonstrate a disturbing upswing in violence toward Christian workers.

"We are seeing an increased trend toward persecution of Christians in Bangladesh, and the Christian community in America is concerned," Abraham said. "We urge the Bengali government to bring the murderers to justice and uphold the Bangladesh constitution which protects religious freedom."

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