ISAS Insights

Bangladesh, a predominantly Muslim country of 160 million people was born in 1971. Immediately after independence, it was confronted with a host of developmental and political challenges. Over time it managed to respond to the development issues with a modicum of success. Initially this was done by an effective utilisation of external support as well as domestic resource mobilisation, and then through home-grown concepts like microcredit and non-formal education, which helped in alleviating poverty, mainstream gender and marginalise extremist thoughts and action. The political problems were more daunting. The principles of 'democracy' and 'secularism', among others, were soon eroded by military interventions, with such actions given legislative sanction through the Fifth (1979) and Seventh (1986) amendments to the constitution. Recently the higher judicial courts delivered two historic judgements nullifying the amendments and setting the country again on the path of democracy and secularism. This paper discusses the judgements and Bangladesh's efforts to maintain religious harmony with democratic and secular values.