Secularism and Islam in Bangladesh: 50 Years After Independence (Routledge South Asian Religion Series) - Hardcover

Wohab, Abdul

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1032532726 ISBN 13: 9781032532721

Publisher: Routledge, 2023

Synopsis

Secularism and Islam in Bangladesh comprehensively analyses the syncretistic form of Bengali Islam and its relationship with secularism in Bangladesh from pre-British to contemporary times. It focuses on the importance of understanding the dynamics between religion and secularism within specific cultural contexts.

The author draws upon historical, sociological, and political literature, Bangladeshi electoral results, newspaper reports, and elite interviews with political commentators and offers a rich historical and empirical analysis. Arguing that extremist interpretations of Islam, which aim to establish a theocratic state, have not been able to influence the pluralistic religious and cultural life of Bangladesh substantially, the book shows that religious and cultural pluralism will continue to thrive despite the apparent threat posed by increasing religiosity among Bangladeshi Muslims.

This book is a timely and significant contribution to the discourse on secularism and Islam, with relevance beyond Bangladesh and the wider Islamic world. It will appeal to scholars and researchers working in the fields of South Asian studies, Asian religions, and the sociology of religion.

About this title

About the Author

Abdul Wohab is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the Department of Political Science and Sociology (PSS), North South University (NSU), Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1032532726
• ISBN 13: 9781032532721
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 122