Ever since Bangladesh became independent in 1971 and proclaimed secularism among its four-pronged constitutional core objectives, the world’s third largest Muslim country has been struggling with this concept and its practical manifestations. The temptation of misusing religion in heavily politicised contexts and contestations over social, political and economic interests and development remains ever-present. The violently antagonistic relations between secular and non-secular forces, this article offers some fresh insights into the dynamics of relationships between religion, politics and Islamist militancy in contemporary Bangladesh through discourse analysis. While the hegemonic nature of the deeply contested state apparatus has dominated the headlines, the space for secularism as a sustainable common platform for all people of Bangladesh has appeared to be shrinking. However, this article shows that not all is lost, provided new balances can be found.
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