Religion as a Source of Violence: Contending the Narrative of Political Violence Perpetrated in the Name of Islam in Bangladesh

Abstract

Since Bangladesh emerged as an independent country, violence has become a part of its political process and activism. This paper challenges a dominant narrative that has been discursively constructed and promoted by secularist communities, civil societies, political parties (including the ruling party), and groups in Bangladesh throughout the years. A dominant narrative about religious violence claims Islamists are primarily responsible for political violence in Bangladesh. However, based on a robust analysis of thirty years of data on violence and other of credible sources, I have found that the dominant narrative is not backed by factual and quantitative evidence or a popular mandate but is constructed primarily to support and legitimize political persecution in the politics of Bangladesh. This paper offers a counter-narrative and argues that in Bangladesh, violence has become a political tool for opposition groups to acquire power and for incumbent regimes to retain power. Moreover, it states that religious parties are less violent than secular groups in Bangladesh.

Islamic Epistemology in the Bangladesh Government System (1996–2022): An Analysis of Political Ideologies

“…There are also concerns about the party's ties to extremist groups. JI opposed the war crimes trials conducted in Bangladesh, which aimed to hold accountable those responsible for war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War (Hassan, 2023).…”