Koch (Hindu 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

Among the Tibeto-Burman Koch there are two groups in Bangladesh: the Tintekiya and the Chapra. The Titekiya, whose name means "three pieces of clothing" and comes from their traditional dress, live in about 19 villages. The Chapra live in only three villages, and in each they are the minority. The Koch of Bangladesh live in a small pocket of land along the Indian border in northwestern Dhaka division. These Koch speak a Tibeto-Burman language, and this distinguishes them from a much larger group of Koch (sometimes spelled Cooch) who speak an Indo-Aryan language. There are also some Koch living in Gazipur near Dhaka. These people's ancestors apparently spoke a Tibeto-Burman variety of Koch, but today these people speak Bangla as their mother tongue. They have little or no communication with the Koch living in Bangladesh's northwestern Dhaka division, but they do still share some cultural traits. The Koch communities live in India, Nepal and Bangladesh.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Both the Tintekiya and the Chapra Koch are primarily farmers, with some farming their own land and most working as hired day laborers for neighboring Bengalis. They continue to live primarily in Koch villages in simple homes with mud walls and floors and thatched or corrugated tin roofs.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Within Bangladesh the Tibeto- Burman Koch generally continue to follow their traditional "Sonaton" religion, though some say they are Hindu. Some Koch speakers in Bangladesh have embraced Islam.


What Are Their Needs?

The Koch are poor and uneducated. A Christian education and/or community development organization could possibly be a real blessing to the Koch. At the same time, it seems the Koch tend to equate Christianity with opportunities for education and health care and are in great need of someone to share true Christianity with them.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to provide for their physical and spiritual needs as a testimony of his power and love. Pray that the Koch people will have a spiritual hunger that will open their hearts to the King of kings. Pray for workers who are driven by the love and boldness of the Holy Spirit to go to them. Pray for a movement to Christ among them to begin this decade.


Scripture Prayers for the Koch (Hindu traditions) in Bangladesh.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Koch (Hindu traditions)
People Name in Country Koch (Hindu traditions)
Alternate Names Bashgaria; Koch; Magan; Sanga; कोच (हिंदू ट्रेडिशन्स)
Population this Country 35,000
Population all Countries 97,000
Total Countries 3
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 6  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 20018
ROP3 Code 105069
ROP25 Code 304089
ROP25 Name Koch
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 4
Largest States
Dhaka
24,000
Rajshahi
5,900
Sylhet
3,200
Rangpur
1,900
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 4
  Dhaka 24,000
  Rajshahi 5,900
  Sylhet 3,200
  Rangpur 1,900
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Hinduism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical Unknown)
0.62 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
98.47 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.91 %
* From latest Bangladesh census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Koch (36,000 speakers)
Language Code kdq   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 3
Secondary Languages
Bengali
3,400
Sylheti
900
Primary Language Koch (36,000 speakers)
Language Code kdq   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 3
Secondary Languages
  Bengali 3,400
  Sylheti 900
People Groups Speaking Koch

Primary Language:  Koch

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (2012)
Bible-New Testament No
Bible-Complete No
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
Photo Source Anonymous 
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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