The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) reported that on Monday and Tuesday, several Hindu homes and businesses were vandalized, and numerous temples were damaged by mobs. Among the targeted sites were an ISKCON temple and a Kali temple in Bangladesh.
The ongoing political turmoil and violence in Bangladesh have plunged the country into chaos. Supporters of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League and religious minorities are facing attacks across the nation. The involvement of right-wing groups like the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami in these protests has led to increased targeting of minority Hindus. It’s crucial to note that when Bangladesh was formed in 1971, it was a secular nation. However, by the late 1980s, this secular identity had shifted. In 1988, Islam was declared the state religion of Bangladesh, a decision made by General Hussain Mohammad Ershad, who was originally born in India.
According to a report by Firstpost, the recent attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh have highlighted the country’s complex religious landscape. Hindus make up about 8% of Bangladesh’s population, yet Islam is the national religion. The man responsible for this shift was General Hussain Mohammad Ershad, the former President of Bangladesh. Amid the current unrest, many are reflecting on Ershad’s significant role in the country’s Islamization.
General Ershad’s Early Life and Rise to Power
General Hussain Mohammad Ershad, who ruled Bangladesh during the 1980s, was born in February 1930 in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal, India. After the partition, he and his family moved to East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. Ershad graduated from Dhaka University in 1950 and later joined the army. By 1969, he was the commanding officer of the East Bengal Regiment. During Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971, Ershad was arrested by Pakistan and released in 1973.
Upon returning to Bangladesh, he quickly rose through the ranks. In 1975, Army Chief General Ziaur Rahman appointed him as his deputy, and in 1978, Ershad was promoted to Chief of Staff and Lieutenant General. After Rahman’s assassination in 1981, Ershad took over the presidency by overthrowing acting President Abdus Sattar in a bloodless coup in 1982. As President, Ershad adopted a dictatorial approach, suspending the Constitution, dissolving Parliament, and imprisoning political opponents. He remained in power until 1990, when mass pro-democracy protests led by Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina forced him to resign.
The Islamization of Bangladesh
One of General Ershad’s most significant actions as President was amending the Constitution in 1988 to make Islam the official state religion, effectively ending Bangladesh’s secular identity. Secularism had been one of the founding principles of the country and was enshrined in its Constitution. Many believe Ershad’s move was a strategic attempt to gain favor with right-wing groups. This decision was seen as a continuation of his predecessor and mentor, General Ziaur Rahman, who had also begun to Islamize the Constitution in the 1970s.
Ershad introduced the Fifth and Eighth Amendments to the Constitution, aimed at erasing the principle of secularism. These amendments not only altered the country’s political landscape but also provided fertile ground for the growth of right-wing Islamist groups. Although Sheikh Hasina repealed the Fifth Amendment in 2011 and reinstated secularism in the Constitution, Islam remains the state religion. However, she also passed a law ensuring that Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and followers of other religions would have equal status and rights.
General Hussain Mohammad Ershad was the former President and Army Chief of Bangladesh. Born in India, he seized power in a bloodless coup in 1982 and ruled Bangladesh until 1990.
General Ershad amended the Constitution in 1988, making Islam the official state religion of Bangladesh, thereby shifting the country away from its original secular identity.
These amendments, introduced by Ershad, were aimed at removing secularism as a principle from the Constitution and laying the groundwork for the growth of right-wing Islamist groups.
In 2011, Sheikh Hasina’s government reinstated secularism in the Constitution, although Islam remains the state religion. The government also passed a law ensuring equal rights for all religious communities.
Religious minorities, particularly Hindus, have faced increased attacks amid the current political unrest, with right-wing groups targeting them during protests.