RELIGION IN BANGLADESH
Religions: Muslim 89.1 percent, Hindu 10 percent, other 0.9 percent (includes Buddhist, Christian and a few animists) (2013 estimated). About 99 percent of the Muslims are Sunnis. One percent are Shia (Shiites)In the 1990s, about 83 percent of the population was Muslim and 16 percent was Hindu. Since then many Hindus have emigrated from Bangladesh. In the early 2000s, Christian made up .4 percent of the population; Buddhist, 0.6 percent, and others (mainly animist), 0.3 percent. [Source: CIA World Factbook, 2020]
With a population of 160 million, Bangladesh is the world's fourth largest Muslim nation after Indonesia, India and Pakistan and the third largest Muslim-dominated nation. There are small numbers of Sikhs, Baha’is and Ahmadis.
Bangladesh has a reputation of religious tolerance. The laws in Bangladesh are mostly secular. Muslim Bangladeshis have traditionally been tolerant of other religions. The clerics in Pakistan are generally considered more conservative than those in Bangladesh. The Constitution of Bangladesh grants all religions the freedom to practice their faith.
History of Religion in Bangladesh
Islam came to South Asia in the years following ad 800 but did not reach Bengal until Muslim invaders from the west secured a foothold there around A.D. 1200. In the 13th and 14th centuries, after waves of Turkish, Persian, and Afghan invaders, the religion began to take a firm hold in the area. [Source: Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, Thomson Gale, 2007]
Sufi sects took root an early stage in hat is now Bangladesh. Arab and Persian traders began arriving in Bangladesh in the ninth century AD. Arab, Persian and Chinese traders sought fine muslins, pearls and precious stones. Bengal was known for its silk and cotton cloth weaving industries.. The famous Muslim geographer Ibn-I-Batuta described Chittagong as madina-tul-Akahzar ("the green city").
According to the “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”: “Buddhists, Hindus, and Christians have lived in the region for centuries. Most Buddhists are from the Chakma, Mro, and Marma ethnic groups. Buddhism flourished under the patronage of the Mauryan emperor Asoka in the third century b.c.e., and the archeological ruins of Buddhist monasteries are found throughout Bangladesh. One of the oldest ruins, of a monastery from the seventh or eighth century c.e., is located in Mainamati near Comilla. In eastern Bengal, Buddhism continued to exist under the Pala kings from the eighth to twelfth centuries, but patronage disappeared with the rise of the Senas, who venerated the Hindu god Vishnu. Today there are fewer than one million Buddhists in Bangladesh, the majority living in the region of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The most celebrated holiday among the Buddhists is Buddha Purnima (Full Moon Day), which is a commemoration of the Buddha's birth, death, and enlightenment. [Source: “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”, Thomson Gale, 2006]
“The popularity of Vaisnavism, a branch of Hinduism devoted to Vishnu, dates back to the Mauryan period (fourth to second century B.C.). In Bangladesh bhakti, or devotion, to Krishna (an incarnation of Vishnu) and Radha (a lover of Krishna) can be attributed in large part to the teachings of Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1533). Even more popular than Vaisnavism among the Hindus of Bangladesh is the worship of the goddess (known variously as Kali, Durga, or Uma). In the old sections of Dhaka, where many Hindus live, there are mandirs (temples) dedicated to the goddess.
“Most Christians in Bangladesh are Roman Catholic and from the Garo and Lushai ethnic groups. Portuguese traders, who arrived as early as the sixteenth century, introduced Catholicism to the region. Protestant missionaries arrived in the late 1700s and had more of an impact in the western part of Bengal (now mostly in West Bengal, India).
Religion and the Government in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is no longer a secular state. Islam was established as the state religion in 1988, but freedom of worship is guaranteed under the constitution. Islam affects many aspects of life in Bangladesh.
Although initially Bangladesh opted for a secular nationalist ideology as embodied in its Constitution, the principle of secularism was subsequently replaced by a commitment to the Islamic way of life through a series of constitutional amendments and government proclamations between 1977 and 1988. In spite of a history of religious strife, Bangladeshi Muslims tended to be accommodating toward adherents of other religions. [Source: James Heitzman and Robert Worden, Library of Congress, 1989]
According to “World Press Encyclopedia”: “Officially, the Republic of Bangladesh is a secular democracy with everyone above the age of 18, regardless of race, religion or gender having the right to vote. An amendment to the constitution adopted in 1988 established Islam as the state religion. Also in practice, Islam is supported by the government, which disallows any criticism of it in the media. [Source: “World Press Encyclopedia”, The Gale Group Inc., 2003]
Religion and Society in Bangladesh
The Muslim community in the Bengal region developed independent of the dominant Islamic trends in India. The preservation of pre-Islamic cultural elements from Buddhist and Hindu periods made the commitment to Islam uniquely Bangladeshi. Features of Bangladeshi Hinduism, which differed in some respects from Hinduism in other parts of South Asia, influenced both the practices and the social structure of the Bangladeshi Muslim community. [Source: James Heitzman and Robert Worden, Library of Congress, 1989 *]
In spite of the general personal commitment to Islam by the Muslims of Bangladesh, observance of Islamic rituals and tenets varies according to social position, locale, and personal considerations. In rural regions, some beliefs and practices tend to incorporate elements that differ from and often conflict with orthodox Islam. Islamic fundamentalists, although a rather limited force in the past, had begun to gain a following, especially among the educated urban youth, by the 1980s.*
Chinese in Britain say religion has little bearing on their lives while two thirds of the Muslim Pakistanis and Bangladeshis say religion in very important.
Bengali Religion
West Bengal and Bangladesh were divided up chiefly on religious grounds. Hindus make up 77 percent and Muslims make up 22 percent of the population of the of West Bengal while Hindus make up 10 percent and Muslims make up 90 percent of the population of Bangladesh. Less than one percent of Bengalis are Christian. There is only a small number of Bengali Buddhists.
Bengalis are known for blending Hindu, Muslim, folk religion, deities and practices. Worship takes place at temples and mosques and religious folk music gatherings (especially at Vaishnavite gatherings and among Muslim Sufis). Folk deities recognized by both Hindus and Muslim have included Sitala, the goddess of small pox, Olababibi, goddess of cholera, and Manasa, goddess of snakes.
The worship of Shiva is popular among the upper castes while the worship of Vishnu, and his incarnation Krishna, is more common among the lower castes. Bengali Hindu variations include Brahma Samaj, a modernist sect to which some Westernized high caste elites belong. Festivals honoring Shiva and his wife Lakshima and Sarswati. The goddess of knowledge, are important.
Bengali Muslim belong almost exclusively to the Sunni sect, mostly ascribing to the Hanafi school of Islamic law. They are known for the practice of “pirism,” the cultish following of Muslim holy men or saints.” Muslims celebrate the traditional Muslim holidays. Even though most Bengali Muslims are Sunnis, the also observe the Shiite festival of Ashura. The also celebrate the Hindu festival of Holi and the first day of the Hindu and Bengali new year.
Religious Tolerance in Bangladesh
Bangladesh has a reputation of religious tolerance. The laws in Bangladesh are mostly secular. Muslim Bangladeshis have traditionally been tolerant of other religions. The clerics in Pakistan are generally considered more conservative than those in Bangladesh.
According to the “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”: “When Bangladesh gained independence in 1971, the country was founded on the four principles of democracy, socialism, nationalism, and secularism. Religious tolerance, or respect for diverse interpretations of religious traditions, was to be promoted, and religious minorities were protected by the constitution. National holidays included major Muslim holidays and those of Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions. [Source: “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”, Thomson Gale, 2006]
“After independence, religion played little part in national politics, and religiously oriented political parties were banned from politics under the country's first president and prime minister, Sheikh Mujib (Mujibur Rahman, 1920–75). Beginning with Sheikh Mujib's successor, Ziaur Rahman (1936–81), in response to religious nationalism and Islamism, religiously oriented political parties were again legalized, and in 1988 Islam became the state religion (though other faiths were allowed practice in "peace and harmony"). The major political parties, the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and the Awami League, have voiced their support for tolerance of all religious communities.
Hindus in Bangladesh
Hindus make up about 10 percent of the population of Bangladesh while Muslim make up about 88 percent. In the 1990s, about 83 percent of the population was Muslim and 16 percent was Hindu. Since then many Hindus have emigrated from Bangladesh.
Estimated to make up 18.5 percent of East Pakistan's population in 1961, the Hindu proportion of the population had shrunk to about 13.5 percent by 1971. Steady Hindu emigration to India and Burma throughout the 1960s accounted for most of the decline. Although the Hindu population increased in size after 1971 and had reached 10.6 million by 1981, its relative proportion of the total population continued to decrease. In 1987 Hindus represented nearly 16 percent of the population. [Source: James Heitzman and Robert Worden, Library of Congress, 1989 *]
Hindus in Bangladesh in the late 1980s were almost evenly distributed in all regions, with concentrations in Khulna, Jessore, Dinajpur, Faridpur, and Barisal. The contributions of Hindus in arts and letters were far in excess of their numerical strength. In politics, they had traditionally supported the liberal and secular ideology of the Awami League (People's League). Hindu institutions and places of worship received assistance through the Bangladesh Hindu Kalyan Trust (Bangladesh Hindu Welfare Trust), which was sponsored by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Government-sponsored television and radio also broadcast readings and interpretations of Hindu scriptures and prayers.*
Bangladeshi Hindus feel threatened by the rise of Islamic extremism and the use of Islamic law. After the destruction of Babri masjid mosque in India in 1992, Muslims in Bangladesh retaliated by destroying Hindu temples in Bangladesh. There have a number of attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.
Hinduism in Bangladesh
Hinduism encompasses an array of deities, including Krishna, Ram, Durga, Kali, and Ganesh. Unlike Islam, Hinduism lacks a single authoritative scripture and a historically known founder. In a sense Hinduism is a synthesis of the religious expression of the people of South Asia and an anonymous expression of their worldview and cosmology, rather than the articulation of a particular creed. The term Hinduism applies to a large number of diverse beliefs and practices. Although religion can best be understood in a regional context, the caste system, beliefs, rituals, and festivals of the Hindus in Bangladesh are peculiarly Bengali. [Source: James Heitzman and Robert Worden, Library of Congress, 1989 *]
Bangladeshi Hindus pay particular attention to the female goddess Durga, and rituals devoted to her are among the most widely celebrated. Bangladeshis honor the Hindu goddess Durga that is immersed in waters as is done in Calcutta. Bengali Islam has been influenced by Hinduism.
For most of its adherents, Hinduism encompasses a variety of devotions and sects that center on one or more of the great gods and are expressed at least partly in a regional context. The great tradition recognizes a trinity of gods, who are actually forms of absolute Brahman: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. Brahma receives little notice; everyday devotion tends to center on the worship of Vishnu and Shiva (known by a variety of names) and their countless respective consorts.*
The worship of Shiva has generally found adherents among the higher castes in Bangladesh. Worship of Vishnu more explicitly cuts across caste lines by teaching the fundamental oneness of humankind in spirit. Vishnu worship in Bengal expresses the union of the male and female principles in a tradition of love and devotion. This form of Hindu belief and the Sufi tradition of Islam have influenced and interacted with each other in Bengal. Both were popular mystical movements emphasizing the personal relationship of religious leader and disciple instead of the dry stereotypes of the Brahmans or the ulama. As in Bengali Islamic practice, worship of Vishnu frequently occurs in a small devotional society (samaj). Both use the language of earthly love to express communion with the divine. In both traditions, the Bangla language is the vehicle of a large corpus of erotic and mystical literature of great beauty and emotional impact.*
According to the “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”: “The popularity of Vaisnavism, a branch of Hinduism devoted to Vishnu, dates back to the Mauryan period (fourth to second century B.C.). In Bangladesh bhakti, or devotion, to Krishna (an incarnation of Vishnu) and Radha (a lover of Krishna) can be attributed in large part to the teachings of Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1533). Even more popular than Vaisnavism among the Hindus of Bangladesh is the worship of the goddess (known variously as Kali, Durga, or Uma). In the old sections of Dhaka, where many Hindus live, there are mandirs (temples) dedicated to the goddess. [Source: “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”, Thomson Gale, 2006]
Hindu Practices
Common among Hindus is the acceptance of the caste system as the structure of society. For virtually all Hindus, even those in revolt against some aspects of the system, caste is taken for granted as the way of life. To be considered Hindu, a group must identify itself in some way as a unit in the caste hierarchy. One cannot join a caste; one is born into it and lives, marries, and dies in it. [Source: James Heitzman and Robert Worden, Library of Congress, 1989 *]
On the level of the little tradition, Hinduism admits worship of spirits and godlings of rivers, mountains, vegetation, animals, stones, or disease. Ritual bathing, vows, and pilgrimages to sacred rivers, mountains, shrines, and cities are important practices. An ordinary Hindu will worship at the shrines of Muslim pirs, without being concerned with the religion to which that place is supposed to be affiliated. Hindus revere many holy men and ascetics conspicuous for their bodily mortifications. Some people believe they attain spiritual benefit merely by looking at a great holy man. *
Hindu ethics generally center on the principle of ahimsa, noninjury to living creatures — especially the cow, which is held sacred. The principle is expressed in almost universally observed rules against eating beef. By no means are all Hindus vegetarians, but abstinence from all kinds of meat is regarded as a "higher" virtue. High-caste Bangladeshi Hindus, unlike their counterparts elsewhere in South Asia, ordinarily eat fish.*
Hindu Celebrations and Festivals in Bangladesh
According to “Countries and Their Cultures”: “Brahman priests perform rituals for the Hindu community during the major festivals when offerings are made but also in daily acts of worship. They are respected, but Hinduism does not have the codified hierarchical structure of Islam. Thus, a Brahman priest may not have a position of leadership outside his religious duties. Hindu and Islamic rituals are celebrated in villages and neighborhoods and are dependent on important family or local traditions. Celebrations take place at many local shrines and temples. [Source: “Countries and Their Cultures”, The Gale Group Inc., 2001]
“Among the most important Hindu celebrations are Saraswati Puja (February), dedicated to the deity Saraswati, who takes the form of a swan. She is the patron of learning, and propitiating her is important for students. Durga Puja (October) pays homage to the female warrior goddess Durga, who has ten arms, carries a sword, and rides a lion. After a nine-day festival, images of Durga and her associates are placed in a procession and set into a river. Kali Puja (November) is also called the Festival of Lights and honors Kali, a female deity who has the power to give and take away life. Candles are lit in and around homes.
According to the “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”: “Among Hindus in Bangladesh, the major festival is Durga Puja. It celebrates a time when the goddess, in the form of Durga, rode her lion and slew a buffalo demon. Pandals, temporary shelters for the goddess (who arrives on the sixth night), are ritually installed by a priest. The most important days of the festival are the seventh through the tenth. During this period Hindus visit a pandal to see the goddess. On the final day of the festival, an image of the deity is thrown into the Buriganga River. The celebration of Durga Puja is not nearly as grand an affair as it once was (or as the one held at the same time in Kolkata, India). There is growing fear among Bangladeshi Hindus that the celebration invites persecution from Muslim fundamentalists. [Source: “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”, Thomson Gale, 2006]
Buddhists in Bangladesh
Buddhists make up about 0.5 percent of the population of Bangladesh, which means there are roughly 800,000 of them in Bangladesh. The 1981 census counted approximately 538,000 Buddhists, less than one percent of the population at that time.
Many of the Chinese-looking tribal people in the Hill Tracts are Buddhists. Buddhism in various forms appears to have been prevalent at the time of the Turkish conquest in 1202. The invading armies apparently found numerous monasteries, which they destroyed in the belief that they were military fortresses. With the destruction of its centers of learning, Buddhism rapidly disintegrated. In subsequent centuries and up through the 1980s nearly all the remaining Buddhists lived in the region around Chittagong, which had not been entirely conquered until the time of the British Raj. In the Chittagong Hills, Buddhist tribes formed the majority of the population, and their religion appeared to be a mixture of tribal cults and Buddhist doctrines. [Source: James Heitzman and Robert Worden, Library of Congress, 1989]
Buddhist pilgrims who gather at the Raj Rana Bihar temple in Rangamati of the Kathin Chibor Dan festival light candles, attach banknotes to the "money tree," share food, and sing and dance in colorful clothes. Traditionally as many as 150,000 Buddhist take part in the festival, joined by around 50,000 Muslims and Hindus. One of the Muslim participants told Reuter he attended the festival because both Buddha and Muhammad preached love and equality among people.
Buddhism in Bangladesh
The ethical teachings of the Buddha, Siddartha Gautama (ca. 550-486 B.C.), stress a middle path between physical indulgence and ascetic mortification. The practice of Buddhism is concerned with salvation rather than with metaphysical speculation. Salvation consists of freeing oneself from the cycle of rebirth into lives of evil, pain, and sorrow; to accomplish this, one must renounce society and live a simple life of self-discipline. Those who renounce society often are organized into one of the many monastic orders. [Source: James Heitzman and Robert Worden, Library of Congress, 1989 *]
There are several monasteries in the Chittagong Hills area, and in most Buddhist villages there is a school (kyong) where boys live and learn to read Burmese and some Pali (an ancient Buddhist scriptural language). It is common for men who have finished their schooling to return at regular intervals for periods of residence in the school. The local Buddhist shrine is often an important center of village life.
Essentially tolerant, Buddhism outside the monastic retreats has absorbed and adapted indigenous popular creeds and cults of the regions to which it has spread. In most areas religious ritual focuses on the image of the Buddha, and the major festivals observed by Buddhists in Bangladesh commemorate the important events of his life. Although doctrinal Buddhism rejects the worship of gods and preserves the memory of the Buddha as an enlightened man, popular Buddhism contains a pantheon of gods and lesser deities headed by the Buddha.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs provides assistance for the maintenance of Buddhist places of worship and relics. The ancient monasteries at Paharpur (in Rajshahi Region) and Mainamati (in Comilla Region), dating from the seventh to ninth century A.D., are considered unique for their size and setting and are maintained as state-protected monuments.
Buddhist Monks Serve Iftar for Muslims in Bangladesh
Dharmarajika Buddhist monastery in Dhaka has served iftar meals to underprivileged Muslims during Ramadan for several years. Mahmud Hossain Opu of Al Jazeera wrote: “Every day during Ramadan, hundreds of Muslim men, women and children queue in front of a Buddhist monastery in the Bangladeshi capital to receive iftar, the food with which Muslims break their fast at sunset during the holy month. The initiative by Dharmarajika Buddhist monastery to distribute food to poor and destitute Muslims is a rare example of social harmony between two groups from two different religions in a country that has witnessed a spate of fatal attacks against minorities and secular activists. [Source: Mahmud Hossain Opu, Al Jazeera, June 25, 2016]
“The Dharmarajika Buddhist monastery began this project” in 2010 “and monks say Ramadan is the best opportunity to help poor Muslims. The high priest of the temple, Shuddhanando Mohathero, who initiated the project, believes that "humanity is the ultimate goal of humans". Abul Basahr, a shopkeeper living in the area, told Al Jazeera that monks at the Buddhist temple engaged in several social welfare activities. "The best thing they are doing is the distribution of iftar food to the poor people," he said.
“Established in 1951 in Basabo area of Dhaka, the monastery, monk Karuna Bhikkhu says, works for harmony in the society. Karuna says it is an effort to build good relations with Muslim community, who form nearly 90 percent of the population. Buddhist comprise less than one percent of this nation of 160 million. Harun Miah, the owner of a local restaurant, has been working with the monastery for past five years to cook iftar meals. He says the iftar consisting of potato chops, peyaju (onion tempura), beguni (eggplant tempura), chhola-boot (lentils), khejur (dates), muri (puffed rice), and jilapi (a sweet made of sugar syrup) are served in a box.
“Buddhapriya Mahathero, the second-high priest of the monastery, said at least 300 poor people are served daily. “The people start making queues from 3pm onwards inside the monastery," he told Al Jazeera. For people like Sakhina, who cannot afford an iftar, the free food at the monastery is a godsend gift. “Here, we are granted respect that we were supposed to get from our co-religists," she told Al Jazeera. Despite a recent spike in violence in the South Asian nation, the monks say they are not worried about their safety and have a very good relation with the Muslim community. Mahathero, a firm believer in inter-religious harmony said: "Why should there be a conflict? We are all Bangladeshis. This land is for all of us. By helping each other, we can make this country great."
Christians in Bangladesh
Christians make up about 0.3 percent of the population of Bangladesh, which means there are roughly 500,000 of them in Bangladesh. There could be more as the number of Christians tend to be high in tribal areas, where people have been undercounted and their religion is not known. The 1981 census counted about 275,000 Christians. In the late 1980s, Christianity had about 600,000 adherents, mainly Roman Catholic, and their numbers were growing rapidly.
Most Christians in Bangladesh are Roman Catholic and from the Garo and Lushai ethnic groups. Catholics make up 0.2 percent of the population, which would mean there are about 330,000 of them. The Ministry of Religious Affairs provided assistance and support to the Christian institutions in the country. In the late 1980s, the government was not imposing any restrictions on the legitimate religious activities of the missions and the communities. Mission schools and hospitals were well attended and were used by members of all religions. The Christian community usually enjoyed better opportunities for education and a better standard of living.
According to “Cities of the World”: Catholic and Protestant congregations have been established for generations in Dhaka. Most Roman Catholics from the American community attend English-language Masses held on Saturday at St. Mary's Cathedral in Ramna or on Sunday at Banani Seminary in Banani. An interdenominational Protestant church holds English-language services every Friday morning in Gulshan. The Anglican church, St. Thomas' New Centre, has English-language services twice weekly. Seventh-day Adventists, Latter-day Saints, Mennonites, Bahai, and Assemblies of God are also represented in Dhaka. [Source: “Cities of the World” , The Gale Group Inc. 2002]
History of Christianity in Bangladesh
Portuguese traders, who arrived as early as the sixteenth century, introduced Catholicism to the region. Protestant missionaries arrived in the late 1700s and had more of an impact in the western part of Bengal (now mostly in West Bengal, India). [Source: “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”, Thomson Gale, 2006]
Christianity's first contact with the Indian subcontinent is attributed to the Apostle Thomas, who is said to have preached in southern India. Although Jesuit priests were active at the Mughal courts in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the first Roman Catholic settlements in what became Bangladesh appear to have been established by the Portuguese, coming from their center in Goa on the west coast of India. During the sixteenth century the Portuguese settled in the vicinity of Chittagong, where they were active in piracy and slave trading. In the seventeenth century some Portuguese moved to Dhaka. [Source: James Heitzman and Robert Worden, Library of Congress, 1989 *]
Serious Protestant missionary efforts began only in the first half of the nineteenth century. Baptist missionary activities beginning in 1816, the Anglican Oxford Mission, and others worked mainly among the tribal peoples of the Low Hills in the northern part of Mymensingh and Sylhet regions. Many of the Christian churches, schools, and hospitals were initially set up to serve the European community. They subsequently became centers of conversion activities, particularly among the lower caste Hindus.
In November 2017, Pope Francis visited Bangladesh. The New York Times reported: Francis arrived in Bangladesh, which Popes Paul VI and John Paul II previously visited, to a ceremony of marching soldiers, tradition dancers and cannon salutes. The traffic-choked streets of the capital were cleared of cars and sometimes people for the pontiff, who paid respects at a memorial to those who fell in the country’s war for independence and at the home where Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, considered the father of the nation, was assassinated with much of his family
Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons
Text Sources: New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Lonely Planet Guides, Library of Congress, Bangladesh Tourism Board, Bangladesh National Portal (www.bangladesh.gov.bd), The Guardian, National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Wikipedia and various books, websites and other publications.
Last updated February 2022