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Hinduism is the second largest religious affiliation in Bangladesh, covering 9. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is an umbrella term for a wide variety of related religious traditions native to India. Within Hinduism a large number of personalities or 'forms' are worshiped as Murtis. Hinduism comprises numerous Sects or denominations The main divisions in current Hinduism are Shaivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism Hindu mythology is the large body of Mythology related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and Hindu philosophy is divided into six Sanskrit ''{{IAST|āstika}}'') schools of thought or darshanas (literally "views" Sankhya The Sanskrit term ( Devanāgarī: धर्म Pali transliteration dhamma) is an Indian spiritual and religious Artha ( Devanagari: अर्थ is a Sanskrit term meaning "purpose cause motive meaning notion" In Indian religions, Moksha ( Sanskrit: sa मोक्ष mokṣa) or Mukti ( Sanskrit: sa मुक्ति literally "release" Karma is a concept in Hinduism which explains Causality through a system where beneficial effects are derived from past beneficial actions Yoga ( Sanskrit: योग, IAST: yóga, joːgə refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India, to the Bhakti ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति) is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning devotion. Maya ( Sanskrit sa माया māyā) in Indian religions, has multiple meanings This article is about Hinduism. Puja or "pooja" may also refer to certain devotional practices performed by Balmikis Buddhists (see A Hindu temple or Mandir ( Sanskrit: मंदिर is a house of worship for Hindus followers of Hinduism. Literature regarded as central to the Hindu literary tradition was predominantly composed in Sanskrit, Indeed much of the morphology and linguistic "Veda" redirects here For other uses see Veda (disambiguation. The Upanishads ( Devanagari: उपनिषद् IAST: upaniṣad also spelled "Upanisad" are Hindu scriptures that constitute the core teachings The Rāmāyaṇa ( Devanāgarī: sa रामायण is an ancient Sanskrit epic attributed to the Hindu sage ( Maharishi) Valmiki For other meanings see Purana (disambiguation. The Puranas ( Sanskrit: sa पुराण purāṇa, "of ancient times" The following is a bibliography of Hindu scriptures and texts. The percentage of Hindu population of each country was taken from the US State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2006. These are some of the most noteworthy Gurus and Saints of Hinduism (in alphabetical order A Hinduism is going through a phase of regeneration and reform through the vehicle of several contemporary movements collectively termed as Hindu reform movements. Ayurveda ( Devanāgarī: आयुर्वॆद the 'science of life' is a system of Traditional medicine native to India, and practiced in other The Hindu calendar used in ancient times has undergone many changes in the process of regionalization and today there are several regional Indian Calendars, as This article deals with social and cultural criticism of Hinduism The following is a glossary of terms and concepts in Hinduism. Jyotiṣa ( Sanskrit jyotiṣa, from jyótis- "light heavenly body" also spelled Jyotish and Jyotisha in English Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially 2% of the population according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics^[1]. In terms of population, Bangladesh is the third largest Hindu state of the world after India and Nepal. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia.

In nature, Bangladeshi Hinduism closely resembles the forms and customs of Hinduism practised in the neighbouring Indian state of West Bengal, with which Bangladesh (at one time known as East Bengal) was united until the partition of India in 1947. West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India. East Bengal ( Bengali: পূর্ববঙ্গ Purbobôngo) was the name used during two periods in the 20th century for a territory that roughly corresponded

The Goddess (Devi) – usually venerated as Durga or Kali – is widely revered, often alongside her consort Shiva. Devi ( Devanagari: देवी) is the Sanskrit word for Goddess, used mostly in Hinduism. In Hinduism, Durga ("the inaccessible" or "the invincible" or Maa Durga (Mother Durga is a form of Devi, the supreme Goddess Kali redirects here See Kali (disambiguation for other uses Not to be confused with Kali (demon, the personification of Kali Yuga Shiva:(pronunciation; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, lit "Auspicious one" One of the Trimurtis Shiva is the supreme God in the Shaiva The worship of Shiva has generally found adherents among the higher castes in Bangladesh. Shaivism, also spelled "Saivism" names the oldest of the four sects of Hinduism. Worship of Vishnu (typically in the form of his avatars Rama or Krishna) more explicitly cuts across caste lines by teaching the fundamental oneness of humankind in spirit. Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and Avatar or Avatara (अवतार IAST Avatāra) is often inaccurately translated into English as incarnation Rama ( IAST: rāma Devanāgarī: राम Khmer: Phreah Ream Thai: Phra Ram Lao: Phra Lam Tagalog: Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism Vishnu worship in Bengal expresses the union of the male and female principles in a tradition of love and devotion. For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific This form of Hindu belief and the Sufi tradition of Islam have influenced and interacted with each other in Bengal. Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفی‌گری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Both were popular mystical movements emphasizing the personal relationship of religious leader and disciple instead of the dry stereotypes of the brahmins or the ulama. Brahmin ( Brāhmaṇa, sa ब्राह्मणः is the class of educators scholars and preachers in Brahminical Hinduism. Ulema ( ar علماء,, singular ar عالِم,, "scholar" refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several 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.

Bangladeshi Hinduism admits worship of spirits and patron deities 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. In Hinduism, sadhu is a common term for an Ascetic or practitioner of Yoga ( Yogi) who has given up pursuit of the first three Ascetic redirects here You might also be looking for Acetic acid. Some people believe they attain spiritual benefit merely by looking at a great holy man. Darśana ( Darshan, दर्शन is a Sanskrit term meaning "sight" (in the sense of an instance of seeing or beholding from a root

The principle of ahimsa is expressed in almost universally observed rules against eating beef. Ahimsa ( Devanagari: sa अहिंसा IAST ahiṃsā is a Sanskrit term meaning Non-violence (literally the avoidance of violence - Beef is the Culinary name for Meat from Bovines especially domestic Cattle (cows By some means are Bangladeshi Hindus are vegetarians, but abstinence from all kinds of meat is regarded as a "higher" virtue. Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes Meat (including game and slaughter by-products Fish (including Shellfish and other sea High-caste Bangladeshi Hindus, unlike their counterparts elsewhere in South Asia, ordinarily eat fish & chicken. This is similar to the Indian state of West Bengal, which being climatologically similar to Bangladesh, has led Hindus to consume fish as it is the only major source of protein (regardless of caste). West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India.

Demographics

According to the 2001 census there are 11,379,000 Hindus in Bangladesh. Hindus in Bangladesh in the late 1980s were almost evenly distributed in all regions, with concentrations in Chittagong, Khulna, Jessore, Dinajpur, Faridpur, and Barisal. Chittagong ( Bengali: চট্টগ্রাম Chôţţogram) is Bangladesh 's main Seaport and its second-largest city Khulna is the third largest city in Bangladesh. It is located on the banks of the Rupsha and Bhairab rivers in Khulna District. Jessore (or Jashahor) is a district in south western Bangladesh with a population of 154000 in 1991 Barisal City is an old Port at the mouth of the River Ganges on the northern shore of the Bay of Bengal in southern Bangladesh. The contributions of Hindus in arts and literature were far in excess of their numerical strength. In politics, they had traditionally supported the liberal and secular ideology of the Awami League and other left wing parties such as Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD). The Bangladesh Awami League ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ আওয়ামী লীগ also translated Bangladesh People's League) is the mainstream However, barring the fundamentalist [2] Islamist parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami, all the major political parties have fielded Hindu candidates. Jamaat-e-Islami ( Urdu: جماعتِ اسلامی, " Islamic Block " Jamaat, JI) is an Islamist In the current Bangladesh parliament, out of 345 members, there are only 5 Hindus: 2 are from the Awami League, 2 from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, and 1 from the Jatiya Party. 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 broadcast readings and interpretations of Hindu scriptures and prayers.

Since the rise of more explicitly Islamist political formations in Bangladesh during the 1990s, many Hindus have been intimidated or attacked, and fairly substantial numbers are leaving the country [3]. Islamism ( Islam + ism; Arabic: al-'islāmiyya) a set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only

In present day Bangladesh, the Hindus became a minority only in mid-thirteenth century of the Gregorian Calendar. In 1941 the Hindus formed about 28% of the population, which declined to 22. 05% in 1951. Since then, it has dropped by about half. Through a combination of mass exodus and genocide in 1971, this represents a loss of around 20 million Bangladeshi Hindus and their direct heirs, and reflects one of the largest displacements of population based on ethnic or religious identity in recent history. A significant driver of Hindu emigration has been the Enemy Property Act, later renamed as the Vested Property Act, through which the Bangladesh Government has been able to appropriate the property of around 40% of the existing Bangladeshi Hindu population (according to Dr Abul Barkat of Dhaka University). The Vested Property Act was a controversial law in Bangladesh that allowed the Government to confiscate property from individuals it deemed as an enemy of the state The Vested Property Act was a controversial law in Bangladesh that allowed the Government to confiscate property from individuals it deemed as an enemy of the state

A significant portion of the middle-class Hindu population left the region that is now Bangladesh immediately after the partition in 1947 when East Pakistan came into existence. Many of these East Bengali refugees went on to contribute actively to Indian society after their migration. In 1971, during the Liberation period of Bangladesh from Pakistan, a similar scenario happened.

Source: Census of India 1941, Census of East Pakistan, Bangladesh Government Census [4] [5]

Despite their dwindling numbers, Hindus still yield considerable influence because of their geographical concentration in certain regions. They form a majority of the electorate in at least two parliamentary constituencies (Khulna-1 and Gopalganj-3) and account for more than 25% in at least another twenty. For this reason, they are often the deciding factor in parliamentary elections where victory margins can be extremely narrow. It is also frequently alleged that this is a prime reason for many Hindus being prevented from voting in elections, either through intimidating actual voters, or through exclusion in voter list revisions (eg, see DAILY STAR, January 4th 2006).

Hindu Population by administrative divisions

Banglapedia [6]

Hindu temples

puja celebrations in Dhakeshwari Temple

Hindu temples are more or less distributed all across the country. Dhakeshwari National Temple ( Bengali: ঢাকেশ্বরী জাতীয় মন্দির Ðhakeshshori Jatio Mondir) is a famous Hindu The Kantaji Temple is an elegant example of an 18th century temple. Kantaji Temple ( Bangla: কান্তজী মন্দির is a late medieval Hindu temple in Dinajpur, Bangladesh. The most important temple in terms of prominence is the Dhakeshwari Temple, located in Dhaka. Dhakeshwari National Temple ( Bengali: ঢাকেশ্বরী জাতীয় মন্দির Ðhakeshshori Jatio Mondir) is a famous Hindu Dhaka (also known as Dacca ( Bangla: ঢাকা ɖʱaka is the Capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka District. This temple along with other Hindu organizations arranges Durga Puja and Krishna Janmaashtami very prominently. Durga Puja (দুর্গা পূজা ‘Worship of Durga’ also referred as Durgotsab (bn দুর্গোৎসব ‘Festival of Durga’ is an annual Krishna Janmashtami ( Devanagari कृष्ण जन्माष्टमी, also known as "Krishnashtami","Saatam Aatham"," Gokulashtami The other main temple of Dhaka is the Ramakrishna Mission. The famous Ramna Kali Temple in Dhaka was destroyed by the Pakistani Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, and Bangladeshi Hindus have been actively petitioning successive governments since independence to rebuild the temple on the site, where a massacre of around 100 devotees also took place.

Built in early nineteenth century, Kal Bhairab Temple at Brahmanbaria holds the largest deity of Shiva in the country. Brahmanbaria ( Bengali: ব্রাহ্মণবাড়িয়া Bramhonbaŗia) is a district in east-central Bangladesh.

Many Hindu temples have suffered from implementation of the Vested Property Act through which land and moveable property has been confiscated by agents acting on behalf of successive governments. The Vested Property Act was a controversial law in Bangladesh that allowed the Government to confiscate property from individuals it deemed as an enemy of the state Hindu temples are also high risk areas during communal disturbances (most recently in 1990, 1992 and 2001) when it has often been necessary to call the army to protect sensitive locations.

Community issues

The Hindu community has many similar issues as the Muslim community of Bangladesh. These include women's rights, dowry, poverty and others. Issues unique to the Hindu community include maintenance of Hindu culture and temples in Bangladesh. Small sects of Islamists constantly try to politically and socially isolate the Hindus of Bangladesh. Because Hindus of Bangladesh are scattered all over the areas (except in Narayanganj), they cannot unite politically. Narayanganj ( Bengali: নারায়ণগঞ্জ Naraeongônj) is a city in central Bangladesh. However, Hindus became sway voters in various elections. Hindus have usually voted in large mass for Awami League and communist parties, as these are the only parties which have a nominal commitment to secularism; the alternatives are the increasingly pro-Islamist centrist parties such as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jatiya Party (which both incorporate Muslim identity into their version of Bangladeshi nationalism or the outright Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh (an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Jamaat-e-Islami) which seeks to establish Islamic law under which there would be separate provisions for Hindus as non-Muslims. Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Dôl, BNP is the immediate The Jatiya Party (Ershad ( National Party (Ershad) is a Political party in Bangladesh. Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh (aka 'Jamaat' is the largest Islamist Political party in Bangladesh. Jamaat-e-Islami ( Urdu: جماعتِ اسلامی, " Islamic Block " Jamaat, JI) is an Islamist

The Pakistan Period (1947-1971)

The establishment of Pakistan in 1947 on the basis of the "two-nation theory" was a time of great upheaval for the Hindus of the area that is now Bangladesh. Because Pakistani government endorsed Islamists, the Hindus directly faced state sponsored persecutions during that time.

On 3rd January 1964, an unprovoked carnage of the Hindus took place in major cities of East Pakistan. In khulna town alone few thousands of Hindus were killed in one night. It was aided and abbeted by the then Government of Pakistan. A false rumour was spread that the Hindus in India stole the sacred hair of the prophet Mohammed from the Hazarat bal Mosque in Kashmir and that ignited the passion of the Muslim to go berserk and as a result scores of Hindus got killied. It was followed by a mass exodus of the hapless Hindus from East Pakistan to India

However, in the lead up to the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, the Hindus and Muslims united under one banner to liberate the nation. The Bangladesh Liberation War (i ( Bengali: মুক্তিযুদ্ধ Muktijuddho) was an armed conflict between West Pakistan (later Unlike during the Pakistan era, when state symbolism emphasized Islamic solidarity, the iconography of the Liberation War emphasized the unity of Bengalis irrespective of religious identity. For instance, a popular song by Gauriprasanna Majumdar during the war had as its chorus:

Banglar Hindu, Banglar Bauddha, Banglar Christian, Banglar Musalman, Amra Sabai Bangali (Translation: "Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and Muslims of Bengal - we are all Bengalis")

Bangladesh Liberation and 1971 Bangladesh atrocities (1971)

Main articles: Bangladesh Liberation War, 1971 Bangladesh atrocities, and Operation Searchlight

The Bangladesh Liberation War resulted in one of the largest genocides of the 20th century. The Bangladesh Liberation War (i ( Bengali: মুক্তিযুদ্ধ Muktijuddho) was an armed conflict between West Pakistan (later Beginning with the start of Operation Searchlight on 25 March 1971 and continuing throughout the Bangladesh War of Independence, there were widespread violations Operation Searchlight was a planned military pacification carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement in erstwhile East Pakistan The Bangladesh Liberation War (i ( Bengali: মুক্তিযুদ্ধ Muktijuddho) was an armed conflict between West Pakistan (later While estimates of the number of casualties vary between 300,000 and 3,000,000, it is reasonably certain that Hindus bore a disproportionate brunt of the Pakistan Army's onslaught against the Bengali population of what was East Pakistan.

An article in Time magazine dated August 2, 1971, stated "The Hindus, who account for three-fourths of the refugees and a majority of the dead, have borne the brunt of the Muslim military hatred. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and "^[3]

Senator Edward Kennedy wrote in a report that was part of Senate Committee testimony dated November 1, 1971, "Hardest hit have been members of the Hindu community who have been robbed of their lands and shops, systematically slaughtered, and in some places, painted with yellow patches marked "H". Edward Kennedy may refer to Edward "Ted" Kennedy (born 1932 U All of this has been officially sanctioned, ordered and implemented under martial law from Islamabad". In the same report, Senator Kennedy reported that 80% of the refugees in India were Hindus and according to numerous international relief agencies such as UNESCO and WHO the number of East Pakistani refugees at their peak in India was close to 10 million. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 Given that the Hindu population in East Pakistan was around 11 million in 1971, this suggests that up to 8 million, or more than 70% of the Hindu population had fled the country.

The Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Sydney Schanberg covered the start of the war and wrote extensively on the suffering of the East Bengalis, including the Hindus both during and after the conflict. The Pulitzer Prize, ˈpʊlɨtsɚ PULL-it-sər is an American award regarded as the highest national honor in Newspaper journalism, Sydney Hillel Schanberg (born January 17, 1934 in Clinton Massachusetts) is an American Journalist who is best known for his coverage In a syndicated column "The Pakistani Slaughter That Nixon Ignored", he wrote about his return to liberated Bangladesh in 1972. "Other reminders were the yellow "H"s the Pakistanis had painted on the homes of Hindus, particular targets of the Muslim army" (by "Muslim army", meaning the Pakistan army, which had targeted Bengali Muslims as well), (Newsday, April 29th 1994). Newsday is a daily Tabloid -size Pulitzer Prize winning Newspaper that primarily serves Long Island and the New York City

The initial post-independence period (1972-75)

In the first constitution of the newly independent country, secularism and equality of all citizens irrespective of religious identity was enshrined. On his return to liberated Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in his first speech to the nation, specifically recognized the disproportionate suffering of the Hindu population during the Bangladesh Liberation War. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান ''Shekh Mujibur Rôhman'' The Bangladesh Liberation War (i ( Bengali: মুক্তিযুদ্ধ Muktijuddho) was an armed conflict between West Pakistan (later On a visit to Kolkata, India in February 1972, Mujib visited the refugee camps that were still hosting several million Bangladeshi Hindus and appealed to them to return to Bangladesh and to help rebuilding the country.

Despite the public commitment of Sheikh Mujib and his government to re-establishing secularism and rights of non-Muslim religious groups, two significant aspects of his rule remain controversial as relates to the conditions of Hindus in Bangladesh. The first was his refusal to return the premises of the Ramna Kali Mandir, historically the most important temple in Dhaka, to the religious body that owned the property. The Ramna Kali Mandir ( Bangla: রমনা কালী মন্দির also known as the Ramna Kalibari (house of the Hindu Goddess Kali) was one This centuries old Hindu temple was demolished by the Pakistan army during the Bangladesh Liberation War and around one hundred devotees murdered. The Bangladesh Liberation War (i ( Bengali: মুক্তিযুদ্ধ Muktijuddho) was an armed conflict between West Pakistan (later Under the provisions of the Enemy Property Act it was determined that ownership of the property could not be established as there were no surviving members to claim inherited rights, and the land was handed over to the Dhaka Club. The Vested Property Act was a controversial law in Bangladesh that allowed the Government to confiscate property from individuals it deemed as an enemy of the state Dhaka Club is the oldest recreation organisation and the largest of Elite clubs in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Secondly, state-authorized confiscation of Hindu owned property under the provisions of the Enemy Property Act was rampant during Mujib's rule, and as per the research conducted by Abul Barkat of Dhaka University, the Awami League party of Sheikh Mujib was the largest beneficiary of Hindu property transfer in the past 35 years of Bangladeshi independence. The Vested Property Act was a controversial law in Bangladesh that allowed the Government to confiscate property from individuals it deemed as an enemy of the state The University of Dhaka (commonly referred to as Dhaka University or just DU) ( Bengali: ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় Đhaka The Bangladesh Awami League ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ আওয়ামী লীগ also translated Bangladesh People's League) is the mainstream This was enabled considerably because of the particularl turmoil and displacement suffered by Bangladeshi Hindus, who were the primary target of the Pakistan army's genocide, as well documented by international publications such as TIME magazine and the New York Times, and by the declassified Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and With almost 8 million displaced Hindus and between 200,000 and 2 million Hindu victims of genocide, it was difficult to establish direct ownership of property within legally specified timeframes. This caused much bitterness among Bangladeshi Hindus, particularly given the public stance of the regime's commitment to secularism and communal harmony.

Largely because of these and other factors, such as the lack of attention to the Human Rights Violations of Hindus in the country, the Hindu population of Bangladesh started to decline through migration[7].

The Rahman and Hussein regimes (1975-1990)

President Ziaur Rahman abandoned the constitutional provision for secularism and began to introduce Islamic symbolism in all spheres of national life (such as official seals and the constitutional preamble). Ziaur Rahman (জিয়াউর রহমান Ziaur Rôhman) (January 19 1936 &ndash May 30 1981 was the President of Bangladesh and the founder Zia brought back the multi-party system thus allowing organizations such as and Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh (an offshoot of the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami in Pakistan) to regroup and contest elections. A multi-party system is a system in which three or more political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh (aka 'Jamaat' is the largest Islamist Political party in Bangladesh. Islamism ( Islam + ism; Arabic: al-'islāmiyya) a set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only Jamaat-e-Islami ( Urdu: جماعتِ اسلامی, " Islamic Block " Jamaat, JI) is an Islamist Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and

In 1988 President Hussein Mohammed Ershad declared Islam to be the State Religion of Bangladesh. Though the move was protested by students and left-leaning political parties and minority groups, to this date neither the regimes of the BNP or Awami League has challenged this change and it remains in place[8].

In 1990, the Ershad regime was widely blamed for negligence (and some human rights analysis allege active participation) in the anti-Hindu riots following the Babri Mosque incident in India, the largest communal disturbances since Bangladesh independence, as a means of diverting attention from the rapidly increasing opposition to his rule[9][10]. Anti-Hindu prejudice is a negative perception or Religious intolerance against the practice and practitioners of Hinduism. The Babri Mosque (بابری مسجد बाबरी मस्जिद or Mosque of Babur was a Mosque constructed by order of the first Mughal Many temples and Hindu areas were attacked, including, for the first time since 1971, the Dhakeshwari temple. Dhakeshwari National Temple ( Bengali: ঢাকেশ্বরী জাতীয় মন্দির Ðhakeshshori Jatio Mondir) is a famous Hindu The atrocities were brought to the West's attention by many Bangladeshis, including Taslima Nasrin and her book Lajja which translated into English means "shame". Born Nasrin Jahan Taslima to Rajab Ali and Idul Ara Taslima Nasrin (তসিলমা নাসরিন also spelled Taslima Nasreen and popularly referred to as 'Taslima' Lajja ( Bengali: লজ্জা Lôjja) is a novel in Bengali by Taslima Nasrin, a writer of Bangladesh

Return to democracy (1991-present)

Hindus were first attacked in mass on 1992 by the Islamic fundamentalists. More than 200 temples were destroyed. Hindus were attacked and many were raped and killed [11]. the events are widely seen as a repurcussion against the razing of the Babri Mosque in India[12]. The Babri Mosque (بابری مسجد बाबरी मस्जिद or Mosque of Babur was a Mosque constructed by order of the first Mughal India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Taslima Nasrin wrote her novel Lajja (The Shame) based on this persecution of Hindus by Islamic extremists. Born Nasrin Jahan Taslima to Rajab Ali and Idul Ara Taslima Nasrin (তসিলমা নাসরিন also spelled Taslima Nasreen and popularly referred to as 'Taslima' Lajja ( Bengali: লজ্জা Lôjja) is a novel in Bengali by Taslima Nasrin, a writer of Bangladesh The novel centers on the suffering of the patriotic anti-Indian and pro-Communist Datta family, where the daughter gets raped and killed while financially they end up losing everything.

Prominent political leaders frequently fall back on "Hindu bashing" in an attempt to appeal to extremist sentiment and to stir up communal passions. In one of the most notorious utterances of a mainstream Bangladeshi figure, the current Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, while leader of the opposition in 1996, declared that the country was at risk of hearing "uludhhwani" (a Hindu custom involving women's ululation) from mosques, replacing the azaan (Muslim call to prayer) (eg, see Agence-France Press report of 18th November 1996, "Bangladesh opposition leader accused of hurting religious sentiment"). An ululation is a long wavering high-pitched sound resembling the Howl of a Dog or Wolf. [13]

After the election of 2001, when a right-wing coalition including two Islamist parties (Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and Islami Oikya Jote) led by the pro-Islamic right wing Bangladesh Nationalist Party came to power, many Hindus and liberal secularist Muslims were attacked by a section of the governing regime. Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh (aka 'Jamaat' is the largest Islamist Political party in Bangladesh. The Islami Oikya Jote ( Bengali: Islami Oikko Joţ, "Islamic Unity Front" is a Political party in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Dôl, BNP is the immediate Thousands of Bangladeshi Hindus were believed to have fled to neighbouring India to escape the violence unleashed by activists sympathetic to the new government. Many Bangladeshi Muslims played an active role in documenting atrocities against Hindus during this period ^[4][14].

Girls such as 14-year-old Purnima was raped allegedly by the members of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (the governing party), but rapists were not prosecuted ^[5]. Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Dôl, BNP is the immediate Intellectuals such as Gopal Krishna Muhuri also killed by the members of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh^[6]. Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir (BICS ( Bangla:বাংলাদেশ ইসলামী ছাত্রশিবির ( Bengali for 'Bangladesh Islamic Students Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh (aka 'Jamaat' is the largest Islamist Political party in Bangladesh. According to the human rights organizations, over 100 women were raped and 1000 people were killed ^[7].

The new government also clamped down on attempts by the media to document alleged atrocities against non-Muslim minorities following the election. Severe pressure was put on newspapers and other media outside of government control through threats of violence and other intimidation. Most prominently, the Muslim journalist and human rights activist Shahriyar Kabir was arrested on charges of treason on his return from India where he had been interviewing Hindu refugees from Bangladesh; this was ruled illegal by the Bangladesh High Court and he was subsequently freed. Shahriyar Kabir (শাহরিয়ার কবীর is a Bangladeshi humanist and children's book writer

The fundamentalists and right-wing parties such as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jatiya Party often portray Hindus as being sympathetic to India, and transferring economic resources to India, contributing to a widespread perception that Bangladeshi Hindus are disloyal to the state. Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Dôl, BNP is the immediate The Jatiya Party (Ershad ( National Party (Ershad) is a Political party in Bangladesh. Also, the right wing parties claim the Hindus to be backing the Awami League. The Bangladesh Awami League ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ আওয়ামী লীগ also translated Bangladesh People's League) is the mainstream ^[7]

As widely documented in international media, Bangladesh authorities have had to increase security to enable Bangladeshi Hindus to worship freely following widespread attacks on places of worship and devotees.

After recent bombings in Bangladesh by the Islamic fundamentalists, the government has taken steps to strengthen the security during various minority celebrations, specially during Durga Puja. On 17 August, 2005, around 500 bomb explosions occurred at 300 locations in 63 out of the 64 districts of Bangladesh.

On October 2006, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom published a report titled 'Policy Focus on Bangladesh', said that since its last election, 'Bangladesh has experienced growing violence by religious extremists, intensifying concerns expressed by the countries religious minorities'. The report further stated that Hindus are particularly vulnerable in a period of rising violence and extremism, whether motivated by religious, political or criminal factors, or some combination. The report noted that Hindus had multiple disadvantages against them in Bangladesh, such as perceptions of dual loyalty with respect to India and religious beliefs that are not tolerated by the politically dominant Islamic Fundamentalists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Dual loyalty is a term used in Political discussions to describe a situation where a person has loyalty to two separate interests which potentially conflict with each other India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Islamic fundamentalism Arabic: usul (from usul the "fundamentals"] is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating a return to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Dôl, BNP is the immediate Violence against Hindus has taken place "in order to encourage them to flee in order to seize their property". The previous reports of the Hindu American Foundation were acknowledged and confirmed by this non-partisan report^[8][9]. The Hindu American Foundation (HAF founded May 8, 2004) is an American Hindu human rights group advocating on behalf of the Hindu community

On November 2, 2006, USCIRF criticized Bangladesh for continuing persecution of minority Hindus. Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. It also urged the Bush administration to get Dhaka to ensure protection of religious freedom and minority rights before Bangladesh's next national elections in January 2007^[8][9]. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Dhaka (also known as Dacca ( Bangla: ঢাকা ɖʱaka is the Capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka District.

Political representation

Even after the decline of Hindu population in Bangladesh from 13. 5% in 1974, just after the independence, Hindus were at around 9. 2% of the population in 2001 according to government estimates following the census. However, Hindus accounted for only 4 members of the 300 member parliament following the 2001 elections through direct election; this went up to 5 following a by-election victory in 2004. Significantly, of the 45 seats reserved for women that are directly nominated by the Prime Minister, not a single one was allotted to a Hindu. Several Hindu advocacy groups in Bangladesh have demanded a return to a communal electorate system as existed during the Pakistan period, to enable a more equitable representation in parliament, or a reserved quota as exists for women for Hindu and other minority candidates.

Prominent Bangladeshi Hindus

Politics

• Suranjit Sengupta (Awami League)
• Sudhangshu Shekhar Haldar (Awami League)
• Panchanan Biswas (Awami League)
• Dhirendra Nath Saha (BNP, formerly Awami League)
• Goyeshwar Chandra Roy (BNP)
• Gautam Chakraborty (BNP)
• Gautam Kumar Mitra (BNP)
• Nitai Roy (BNP, formerly Jatiyo Party)
• Monoranjan Shil Gopal (Jatiyo Party)
• Bimal Biswas (Workers Party)
• Pankaj Nath (Awami League)
• Sujit Roynandi (Awami League)

Military

• Chitta Ranjan Dutta (Bir Uttam),retired Major General

Sports

• Brojen Das (swimmer)
• Bimal Chandra Tarafdar (athletics)
• Bikash Ranjan Das (cricketer)
• Alok Kapali (cricketer)
• Tapash Baishya (cricketer)
• Amalesh Sen (football)
• Dhiman Ghosh (cricketer)

Performing arts

• Subir Nandi (singer)
• Tapan Chowdhury (singer)
• Subal Das (composer)
• Subhash Datta (film director)
• Prabir Mitra (actor)
• Piyush Bandyopadhyay (actor)
• Jayanto Chattopadhyay (actor)
• Anju Ghosh (actress)
• Shuvro Dev (singer)
• Rathindranath Roy (singer)
• Aroti Dhar (singer)
• Shefali Ghosh (singer)
• Gobindo Haldar (composer)
• Ajit Roy (singer and composer)

Art and literature

• Nirmalendu Goon (poetry)
• Mahadeb Saha (poetry)
• Ramendu Majumdar (Media & Advertising personality)
• Aleek Ghosh
• Shishir Bhattacharjee (Modern Art / Cartoonist)
• Nitun Kundu (fine arts)
• Dr. Suranjit Sengupta (সুরঞ্জিৎ সেনগুপ্ত is a senior Awami League politician in Bangladesh. Bir Uttom ( Bangla: বীর উত্তম (literally Best among Braves in Bengali) is the second highest award for individual gallantry in Bangladesh Brojen Das (ব্রজেন দাস Brojen Dash) ( 9 December, 1927 – 1998 was the first Asian to swim across the English Channel, and Bikash Ranjan Das (বিকাশ রঞ্জন দাশ) (born July 14, 1982, Dhaka) is a Bangladeshi Cricketer who played in Alok Kapali (অলক কাপালী) (born January 1, 1984 in Sylhet) is a Bangladeshi Cricketer He is an allrounder who bats Tapash Baisya (তাপস বৈশ্য) (born 25 December 1982 in Sylhet) is a Bangladeshi Cricketer Tapash Baisya is Dhiman Ghosh (born 23 November, 1987 in Dinajpur, Bangladesh) is a First class and List A cricketer from Bangladesh Tapan Chowdhury is a Bangladeshi businessman On January 14 2007 he was appointed as one of the advisers for the Caretaker government under Chief Adviser Shuvro Dev or Shuvro Deb or Shubro Dev ( Bangla: শুভ্র দেব is a popular singer of Bangladeshi origin Nirmalendu Goon ( Bangla: নির্মলেন্দু গুণ (b Shishir Bhattacharjee (শিশির ভট্টাচার্য্য (born 1960 is an artist in Bangladesh. Nitun Kundu (নিতুন কুন্ডু (full name Nitya Gopal Kundu (নিত্য গোপাল কুন্ডু (born December 3 1935 Swarochish Sarker (Writer)

Civil society and academia

• Ranada Prasad Saha (Philanthropist)
• Durga Das Bhattacharya (academician)
• Subinay Nandy (economist) United Nation
• Debopriyo Bhattacharya (economist)
• Aroma Datta (Human rights activist)
• Nim Chandra Bhowmick (academic)
• Ajoy Roy (academic)
• Biplobi Binod Bihari Chowdhury. Debapriya Bhattacharya (born 1956 is a renowned economist from Bangladesh who had been working as the Executive Director of CPD until he was appointed Bangladesh
• Gyantaposh Jogesh Chondro Singho. (Educationist)
• Gyanvaskor Bibhuti Bhushan Bhattacharjee. (Educationist)
• Justice Debesh Chondro Bhattacharjee
• Swapan Kumar Bala. (Academic)
• Ashok K. Karmaker (former Judge and US Attorney)

Pakistan period

includes those murdered in 1971 prior to liberation of Bangladesh

• Dhirendranath Datta (politician)
• Jyotirmoy Guhathakurta (academic)
• Purnendu Dastidar (academic)
• Jogendra Nath Mandal (politician)
• Govinda Chandra Dev (academic)

See also

• Islam in Bangladesh
• Christianity in Bangladesh
• Buddhism in Bangladesh
• Hinduism by country
• List of Hindu temples

References

• CIA World Factbook: Bangladesh

External links

• United States Commission on International religious freedom
• Bangladesh Hindus 'will not go back'
• ‘It is a war against the Hindus in Bangladesh’
• HAF Report Summary on Bangladeshi Hindus
• Amnesty International
• Human Rights Congress for Bangladeshi Minorities
• Genocide in East Pakistan
• Police hunt stolen Vishnu statues

This article incorporates public domain text from the Library of Congress Country Study on Bangladesh. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress The Country Studies are works published by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress ( USA) freely available for use by researchers ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially