ABSTRACT
The relationship between religion and secularism in the historical contexts of politics, society, and culture in Bangladesh raises a question on the future of secularism. Scholars have argued that despite the prevalence of religious practices in both public and private spheres through day-to-day activities, political parties with secular views in South Asia, including Bangladesh, should aim to separate religion from the public sphere. This stance, however, risks diminishing the accommodative nature of history and culture of the region. This chapter seeks to review the complex relationships between religion and secularism in Bangladesh, taking into account the political, cultural, and societal contexts. Based on this analysis, the chapter argues that the future of secularism in Bangladesh will continue to face challenges from both local and transnational contexts. Bangladesh practices a secular condition in society, which is directly or indirectly linked to the historical forms of secularism (i.e., either syncretism or pluralism). However, the current initiative of accommodation of religion and secularism in the political and public spheres of the present political party in power can lead to a bigger challenge in keeping secular practices alive in Bangladesh.
