Bangladesh pastors arrested for preaching

Two pastors in northwestern Bangladesh could each face two years in prison if convicted of "hurting religious sentiments."

Police arrested the pastors Nov. 9 along with 41 people listening to their preaching at a rented house in Nabinagar village 186 miles northwest of Dhaka after at least 100 Muslims disrupted the meeting and began "jabbing" at the church leaders' faces, sources said.

The 41 listeners, who were detained along with their children, were released that night. The pastors of Faith Bible Church of God were not released on bail until Nov. 17. They were charged with "hurting religious sentiments" and luring Muslims to convert by offering money. The church leaders deny both charges.

"We did not tell anything to anyone that might hurt religious sensibility," one of the pastors, said. "We did not offer any money to anyone to be converted to Christianity." Read more

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