The origins of the Baháʼí Faith in Bangladesh begin previous to its independence, when it was part of British Raj.
[3] Following the passing of Baháʼu'lláh, as the leadership of the religion fell to ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, he in turn sent further representatives in his stead – both Persian and American.
[11] Nationally coordinated activities began and reached a peak in December 1920, with the first All-India Baháʼí Convention, held in Bombay for three days.
[4] In 1937, John Esslemont's Baháʼu'lláh and the New Era was translated and published in Bengali (Baha'u'llah o nab zug) in Chittagong under the authority of the National Spiritual Assembly of India and Burma.
Its institutions have demonstrated their capacity to mobilize the human resources at their disposal, and those who have responded to the call for action have sacrificially and with the utmost devotion spread the Divine Teachings among the Muslim, Hindu and tribal populations of that country.
The purity of their motives and the sincerity of their efforts to address the needs of society have won them recognition from government officials in the highest circles.
Their exertions to promote love and unity among the majority Muslim and minority Hindu populations are bearing increasing fruit, a striking testimony to the potency of Baháʼu'lláh's Revelation.
In Bangladesh the Baháʼís have had the right to hold their public meetings, establish academic centres, teach their faith, and elect their administrative councils.
[25] Zena Sorabjee of the Baháʼí International Community, shared a platform with Pope John Paul II during his visit to India in 1999 and the meeting was aired through satellite television.
[26] In 2008 about 30 out of 200 Baháʼís managed to get passports and visas and travel from Bangladesh to a regional conference called for by the Universal House of Justice in Kolkata, India, although many more of their fellow believers weren't able to make the trip.
[28] The religion entered a new phase of activity when a message of the Universal House of Justice dated 20 October 1983 was released.
[40] Payam Akhavan, Baháʼí and a renowned human rights lawyer represented Sheikh Hasina (a once and again Prime Minister of Bangladesh).
[43] Representatives of the Baháʼí International Community were among the speakers at the "Conference on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace," which was held on 22 June 2005 with the government of Bangladesh among the co-sponsors.
[44] December 2007, the Centre for Advance Research in Humanities of Dhaka University organised a seminar on "The Baha'i Faith and World Peace" at the lecture theatre of the university presided over by Prof Kazi Nazrul Islam,(not the famous Bengali individual of the same name who died in 1977) Director of the centre.
Mozhgan Bahar, Professor of English Department of American International University-Bangladesh, presented the keynote paper at the seminar.
[citation needed] There are reports of many conversions from November 1988 to September 1989 including many Munda and Arakan people.