Room: Stage J

Md Mahmudul Haque Munshi

The age-old tension between Secularists and Islamists repeatedly erupted during the foundation of all major historical milestone in the Indian Sub-continent, with which Bangladesh is intensely related. Be it the partition of India, or the foundation of Pakistan or the independence of Bangladesh, during every shift of political power, the core point of debate and contradiction remains same- the supremacy of Islam as a religion, which is merely used as a component of blame game in political yard and thus to silence the voice of any opposition that comes in its way.

The recent series of events since 2013, killing of the bloggers, continuous political tension between various political parties is only a sad repetition of history.   Alike the past, the massive Shahbag movement that started in February, 2013 by the secular activists is only a strong vent of the suppressed motif of secularists in the country.

Killing, oppression and torture on the side of secularists and anti-islamists is nothing new in Bangladesh. During the pre-liberation period and in the Liberation war of 1971, Bangladesh has seen the legalization of rape, murder and mass-murder in the excuse of saving Islam, which, to a large extent still exists in our political arena. Even the microscopic secular portion of Islamic movements could not avoid the ferocity of radical islamists alike the secularists.

Expression of anything that is not permitted as per the interpretation of the radical islamist group is considered as an act of enmity to Islam. The slightest contradiction with the political intention of the radical Islamist groups results bloodshed and gruesome victimization of the opposition-anyone who oppose the islamists view.

Not necessarily the negative opinion and argument on religion gets attacked all the time from the radical islamists. Any comment, argument, act or expression at any point can be considered as anti-islamic and thus answered through violence, sometimes with the permission and support of the state-mechanism.

As a journalist, blogger and secular activist for the last seven years, I can undoubtedly say from my own suffering and experience, that those who holds the secular view, or wh...

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