
An Appeal for Help.
“We Are a Minority Within a Minority”: Rohingya Christian Leader Faces Death Threats Amid Escalating Persecution in Bangladesh Camps Kutupalong Refugee Camp, Bangladesh –
July 2025 Peter Saiful, a respected Rohingya Christian leader, pastor, and human rights defender, has been living in the Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh since 1992. Born in Myanmar, he and his family fled to Bangladesh amid escalating persecution against the Rohingya Muslim population by the Myanmar military regime. But while many sought refuge, Peter’s struggle continued—as a Christian minority within the already persecuted Rohingya community. Over the past decade, Saiful has become a leading voice for religious freedom and human rights within the camps. Serving as a volunteer pastor, he leads one of the few Christian congregations in the Rohingya refugee population and has become a target for his peaceful advocacy. His dual identity—as both a Rohingya and a Christian—has placed him in an especially vulnerable position, one marked by violence, threats, and isolation. “I have always believed in serving my people, even when some among them reject me for my faith,” Saiful said. “But now, our community is in grave danger.” On January 26, 2020, a violent mob attack by an armed group targeted the Christian community in the camps. Two community members were killed, twelve others seriously injured, and seven women assaulted. One young girl was abducted, forcibly converted, and married to a member of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). Her whereabouts remain unknown. Following the attack, around 25 Christian families, including Saiful’s, were relocated to the UNHCR Transit Center for safety. But the threats never stopped. Since December 2024, a new wave of intimidation has emerged. Fatwas have been issued by religious students in the camp calling for Saiful and other Christian leaders to be killed. Posters circulating within the camp—bearing photos of Peter Saiful and his younger brother, Nur Emmanuel—label them as “missionaries” and call for their beheading. Online hate speech and threats have rapidly spread through social media platforms, further inciting violence. “Armed men now linger near the UNHCR Protection Center,” Saiful said. “I fear for my family’s safety every hour of the day.” Saiful has made repeated appeals to UNHCR protection officers and has filed a General Diary (GD) with local police authorities. Yet, he reports no concrete action has been taken. He also alleges that ARSA commander Osama Ibrahim from Camp 1W has openly threatened to attack the Christian area within the Transit Center and destroy their shelter. While UNHCR legal advisers have recommended that Saiful file a cybercrime case against those spreading hate, he remains conflicted. “As a Christian, I believe in peace and reconciliation. I fear that any legal action might provoke more violence and backlash against our small community.” Human rights advocates such as Burmese activist Wai Wai Nu have spoken publicly about the threats facing Rohingya Christians. However, Peter Saiful continues to appeal to the international community for help—pleading for urgent protection, at least, stronger advocacy. “We are a minority within a minority,” he said. “We need the world to see us, to hear us, and to act before it’s too late.” As of this report, Peter Saiful, his family, and over two dozen other Rohingya Christians remain in the UNHCR Transit Center at Kutupalong, living under constant fear of attack, without a long-term solution in sight.
