The conflict between religious groups is nothing new recently some of the biggest things have turned the whole arena into a significant one point that is- religious fundamentalism. By being a multi-cultural and religious country, Bangladesh must dispute against all fundamentalistic behavior.

Things to know about Religious Fundamentalism in Bangladesh

Religious Freedom

Bangladesh is a free will independent country with a large Islamic religious population. Though its constitution titles, Islam, as the state religion but upholds the principle of secularism. In the constitution, Bangladesh prohibits and doesn’t allow religious discrimination. Equality for all religions is a matter of fact here. According to the constitution, “The state religion of the Republic is Islam, but the State shall ensure equal status and equal rights in the practice of the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and other religions.” Any political status can’t act in favor of any religion.  If the government makes sure people of religious extremists follow the constitution hereby no conflict will occur and no one will be out of state jurisdiction.

Government Policy and Engagement

Religious minorities in Bangladesh, include Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians, who are sometimes also part of the ethnic minority group. They have had enough and a tremendous torment for upholding a different religious view. The government couldn’t effectively prevent their sufferings against forced evictions and land seizures stemming from land disputes. Hence the government placed law enforcement personnel at religious sites, festivals, and events considered possible targets for violence yet things went wrong, which happens every year. And this year religious extremism got so out of hand that more than thousands of Hindu minority group people got under attack because of an incident that occurred in Durga Puja. Injuries, deaths, fire attacks, house burning almost all kinds of vandalism fall out on them. Many Hindu families had to leave their homes; some left the country even some of the remaining are planning to leave too! Such a shame for us all. When the country follows the principle of secularism, citizens had to suffer and be evicted.

Religious Attacks and Punishment

During the time between 2013 and 2016 there had been some attacks on a number of secularist and atheist writers, bloggers, and publishers in Bangladesh; also, foreigners; homosexuals; and religious minorities. Many were killed back then by extremist groups. The Bangladeshi government could’ve acted properly on these attacks’ responses but in vain. Some of the secularist bloggers were charged and got arrested for allegedly defaming some religious groups; which was untrue. It was said that those bloggers treated badly with religious sentiments of different religious groups. They were forced to flee overseas. Instead of victim-blaming the government must punish and enforce the law on those who are behind all this mess and violence, those who started all this chaos.

Religious Fundamentalism

Religious Demography

According to the 2013 government census of Bangladesh, Sunni Muslims constitute 89 percent of the total population, 10 percent Hindus and the remainder of the population is predominantly Christian and Buddhist. Apart from that it also has a small number of Shia Muslims, Baha’is, animists, Ahmadi Muslims, agnostics, and atheists. But as the minority group, all the religious groups shouldn’t be cornered in the demographic map. As we know mostly Hindus and Christians can’t live by their wish or terms. They are often treated as outsiders.