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DHAKA: Hardline Islamist groups in Bangladesh on Thursday threatened large-scale protests if a court moves to scrap Islam as the official state religion of the Muslim-majority nation.
Bangladesh is officially secular, but Islam has been the state religion for almost three decades. More than 90 per cent of the population is Muslim, with Hindus and Buddhists the main minorities.
The High Court is considering a petition by secularists who say Islam’s status as the state religion conflicts with Bangladesh’s secular charter and discriminates against non-Muslims.
Furious Islamist hardliners this week urged the court to dismiss the petition at a hearing on March 27, threatening large-scale protests if it moves to scrap Islam’s special status.
“Any move to scrap Islam’s status will undermine and defame the religion”, Mufti Mohammad Faezullah, secretary general of Islamist political party Islamic Oikya Jote (IOJ) said.
Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2016
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Mar 11, 2016 10:36am
You always have opposition even to good causes. Those elements should be thwarted
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Mar 11, 2016 11:51am
Religion must be kept apart from the state. A secular state manadates that. If Bangladesh is to establish itself as truly secular state, it must distance itself from any particular religion.
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Mar 11, 2016 12:20pm
Religon is too old for the modren and advance mindset.Especially countries with low literacy rates are fooled by the religious thugs for political purposes on the name of religion.
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Mar 11, 2016 01:23pm
Considering the fact that currently most of Muslim countries suffered major economic disaster and deaths due to religious extremism, I think every one in Bangladesh will support secularism.
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Mar 11, 2016 01:30pm
@diagoldy This should apply to India as well.
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Mar 11, 2016 02:04pm
Bangladesh is seems to be on the path self destruction and opportunist and blame for this.
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Mar 11, 2016 02:30pm
Different flowers in one garden is much better.
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Mar 11, 2016 04:11pm
@Salman
India is a secular state my friend! The state of India does not have any official religion.
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Mar 11, 2016 04:33pm
State should never adopt any religion. Country should remain secular. That is the future, we cannot take the country back to darkness age
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Mar 11, 2016 06:35pm
Hasina government is going unchecked too far, a real dictatorship is seen.
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Mar 11, 2016 06:53pm
Bangladeshis should not forget their religious roots. Not a good idea to blindly follow other more "advanced" neighbors.
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Mar 11, 2016 07:04pm
Bangladesh is the most stable and peaceful country in South Asia. We have no crime, political problems and awami party is the most honest party
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Mar 11, 2016 07:23pm
Large scale protests are not the same as violence. Everyone has a right to protest and everyone has a right to ignore them.
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Mar 11, 2016 07:25pm
@diagoldy - well said, I agree.
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Mar 11, 2016 07:27pm
@Kpk
This is what we see in Pakistan. very low literacy rate and the mullahs take full advantage of it.
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Mar 11, 2016 07:31pm
@Tariq
But the reality is very different from what you think. Bangladesh is progressing very rapidly, they have surpassed Pakistan which is still ruled by religious extremist sympathizers. Bangladesh economy is doing much better then Pakistan, even in cricket they are doing so well in comparison to Pakistan.
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Mar 11, 2016 07:32pm
@Abdul well said.
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Mar 11, 2016 07:34pm
@Abdulla Hussain
If so, then I would go for this kind of dictatorship any day.
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Mar 11, 2016 09:19pm
Bangladesh belongs to people of Bangladesh from any cast or creed. Religion has nothing to do with the affairs of the state.
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Mar 11, 2016 09:45pm
We Pakistanis are proud of our Islamic identity.
As Iqbal said, Indian Muslims need an Islamic state to show to the world the real face of Islam (which is more progressive than any other ideology).
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Mar 11, 2016 10:06pm
I strongly believe that religion should be kept OUT of state. Religion is a private matter between the individual and god.
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Mar 11, 2016 10:50pm
It's saddening to see that the identity-crisis of bangladesh isn't over even after it achieved its "independence" from Pakistan. Perhaps it will be further divided into secular bangladesh and an islamic bangladesh.
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Mar 11, 2016 11:33pm
@Hassan Parvez: Some has the tendency to understand very late or not understand at all.
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Mar 12, 2016 12:32am
@M. Emadd I was being sarcastic in my last comment BTW...no one can believe awami party ot be honest.
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Mar 12, 2016 02:55am
A good move in the right direction.
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Mar 12, 2016 10:59am
@Salman
Are you not aware , India is secular and guarantee equal rights for all religion
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Mar 12, 2016 11:00am
@Abdulla Hussain
It is purely internal affairs of Bangladesh, why your bloods boils ?
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Mar 12, 2016 02:39pm
@Shah Majority of Bangladesh is Muslim, so it is like snatching their right to live islamically if that is what they want, don't you think you are crushing a majority's right to live in the fashion they want? Why not conduct a referendum?
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Mar 12, 2016 02:40pm
@rama Actions speak louder than words, and lately the rise of hindus fanaticism indicates anything but secularism.
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