Secularism in Bangladesh

And yet, after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, Bangladesh went to military rule, and in 1979 removed the term secular from their constitution.

[4] After the restoration of parliamentary democracy in 1990, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Awami League governments retained Islam as the state religion.

In 2010, the Bangladesh Supreme Court ruled that the removal of secularism in 1977 was illegal because it was done by an unconstitutional martial law regime.

Article 12 sets out several goals, including the elimination of inter-religious conflict, the prohibition of religious discrimination and discouraging the use of religion in politics.

Amid these politics, Sheikh Mujib led Bangladesh to join the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in 1974.

The Islamic Foundation of Bangladesh was established to regulate the collection of zakat, religious matters and fixing dates for Muslim holidays.

On 23 April 1977, Chief Martial Law Administrator Ziaur Rahman issued the Proclamations (Amendment) Order 1977 that was published in an extraordinary Bangladesh Gazette.

Zia inserted the Islamic phrase Bismillah in the constitution's preamble and replaced "secularism" with "Absolute Trust and Faith in the Almighty Allah".

[12] Zia also amended Article 25 by inserting a provision which read that "The State shall endeavor to consolidate, preserve and strengthen fraternal relations among Muslim countries based on Islamic solidarity".

[12] Zia later contradicted his own proclamation, remarking that "Eventually an effective political ideology cannot be based on any certain religion.

[18][19][20] After the Eighth Amendment of the constitution on 7 June 1988, 15 personalities had filed a public interest litigation challenging the provision of state religion.

[23][24] In 2015, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion Heiner Bielefeldt commented about the country, stating that "Secularism in Bangladesh represents a commitment, entrenched in the Constitution, to create and uphold an open and inclusive space for religious diversity, free from fear and discrimination.

Such an ‘inclusive’ understanding of secularism requires the State authorities to take concrete action and make long-term investment in education, civil society development, minority outreach programmes and other activities".

[25] K. Anis Ahmed, a writer and newspaper publisher, wrote in 2021 on the occasion of the country's golden jubilee that "Bangladesh, once regarded as a country doomed by disasters, has lately turned heads with the clipped pace of its economic and social progress, especially in women’s empowerment, child and maternal health, and school enrolment.

While Bangladesh’s development gains deserve all the praise they are receiving, an equally important and impressive victory can be found in that secularism still remains a defining, though embattled, ideal of the country".

[26] Bangladesh continues to follow colonial era segregated family laws based on religion, which is also the case in India and Pakistan.

Section 2 of this Act totally bars a Muslim, a Hindu, a Buddhist and a Christian to opt for interreligious marriage.

In practice, the provision has translated in parties making an affidavit before a notary denouncing their faith and claiming that they do not follow any particular religion.