Trinary Views of Secularism: Transitional Ideological Perception of
Tertiary Educated People in Bangladesh
Abstract
This study attempts to explore the perception of secularism among the
present generation in Bangladesh when this country celebrates its golden
jubilee of independence. This paper follows mixed methods, namely
convenience surveys and content analysis of credible secondary sources.
This study attempts to explore the meaning of secularism that the
educated young population comprehends and to understand their
perception. It is interesting to see that many of them opine about
having ‘state religion’ besides ‘secularism’ as a basic constitutional
principle (61.9%/38.1%). They believe in equal treatment for all
minority religions, while at the same time they share their perception
of giving priority to ‘Islam’ as the dominant religion (57.1%), which
could be labelled ‘paradoxical’. This article argues that the
ideological perception is going into transition among young people in
Bangladesh, which is different from the previous linear understanding of
pro-secular and anti-secular dynamics. This paper also provides some
pragmatic way outs from young people on how to secure the rights of
minority religions in Bangladesh.