Serious Golmal

The Yale Online on Bangladesh:

Preserving democracy in an impoverished Muslim nation is no easy task. After separating from Pakistan in 1971, Bangladesh created a constitution embracing secularism and democracy. A 1982 military coup suspended the constitution, and Islam was eventually named the state religion. Extremists instigate violence against politicians with a secular platform, thus contributing to the government’s inability to maintain secular principles. Sumit Ganguly, a South Asia scholar, argues that the world cannot ignore what has become a potential breeding ground for soldiers in the global jihad. To please international donors, Bangladesh functions with the shell of a democracy, holding competitive elections, between political parties that are corrupt and inept. About 10 percent of the population is Hindu, and protection for minorities is scant, with institutional corrosion fostering an atmosphere of religious intolerance. Outside forces also encourage the extremism: Bangladeshi radicals exploit every act of violence toward Muslims in India; Saudi religious charities have established a network of Wahhabi madrassas, promoting a confrontational version of Islam; and Pakistani intelligence has infiltrated society, stirring up hostility toward India. Ganguly calls for international attention and containment, pointing out that domestic turmoil combined with external manipulation could lead to an instability that threatens the region and the world. – YaleGlobal

A good article by, A New Challenge For Bangladesh by Sumit Ganguly, in entirety here.

This entry was posted Sunday, April 23rd, 2006 at 4:15 pm and is filed under Bangladesh. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.