Religion in Bangladesh
Islam is the state the religion of Bangladesh by article 2A of the constitution, however
"The State shall ensure equal status and equal right in the practice of
the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and other religions".
As per the 2011 census, Muslims constitute over 90% of the population, while Hindus constitute 8.5% and the remaining rest constitute 1%. A
survey in late 2003 confirmed that religion is the first choice by a citizen
for self-identification. The Constitution denominates Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, and
Buddhism
ISLAM
The Muslim population in Bangladesh was over 146 million in 2011, which
makes up 90% percent of the population in the country. The Constitution of Bangladesh declares Islam as the state
religion. Bangladesh is the fourth-largest
Muslim-populated country. Muslims are the predominant community of the country
and they form the majority of the population in all eight divisions of
Bangladesh. The overwhelming majority of Muslims in Bangladesh are Bengali Muslims at 88%, but a small segment of about 2% of them are Bihari Muslims and Assamese Muslims. Most Muslims in Bangladesh are Sunnis, but there is a small Shia community. Most of those who are Shia reside in urban areas.
Although these Shias are few in number, Shia observance commemorating the
martyrdom of Muhammad's grandson, Husain
ibn Ali, is widely observed by the nation's
Sunnis. Muslims celebrate Eid
ul-Fitr, Eid
ul-Adha, Muharram, Milad un Nabi, Shab-e-Barat, and Chand Raat all across the country with much fanfare and grandeur. The
annual Bishwa Ijtema is the
largest and most notable congregation of Muslims in Bangladesh.
The Muslim community in the Bengal region i.e (West Bengal, Bangladesh) developed independently of the
dominant Islamic trends in India. Features of Bangladeshi Hinduism, which
differed in some respects from Hinduism in other parts of South Asia,
influenced both the practices and the social structure of the Bangladeshi
Muslim community. In spite of the general personal commitment to Islam by the
Muslims of Bangladesh, observance of Islamic rituals and tenets varies
according to social position, locale, and personal considerations. In rural
regions, some beliefs and practices tend to incorporate elements that differ
from and often conflict with orthodox Islam. According to Aziz Ahmad, Arabic
Islamic scholars have considered the form of Islam followed in Bengal i.e have some elements of Crypto-Hinduism in it.
Hinduism
Hinduism is the second-largest religious affiliation in Bangladesh, with around 14 million people identifying themselves as
Hindus. Hindus make up about 8.5% of the total population. In terms of
population, Bangladesh has the third-largest Hindu community of the world,
after India and Nepal. Bangladeshi
Hindus are predominantly Bengali Hindus, but a distinct Hindu population also exists among the
indigenous tribes like Garo, Khasi, Jaintia, Santhal, Bishnupriya Manipuri,
Tripuri, Munda, Oraon, Dhanuk, etc. Hindus are evenly distributed throughout all
regions of Bangladesh, with significant concentrations in northern,
southwestern and northeastern parts of the country. In nature, Bangladeshi
Hinduism closely resembles the rituals and customs of Hinduism practiced in the
neighboring Indian state of West Bengal, with which Bangladesh was united until the partition of
India in 1947. Hindu festivals of Durga Puja, Rath Yatra, and Janmashtami witness jubilant celebrations across various cities,
towns, and villages of Bangladesh.
Buddhism
About 1,000,000 people in Bangladesh adhere to the Theravada school of Buddhism. Buddhists form about 0.6% of the population of Bangladesh.
In antiquity, the region of present-day
Bangladesh was a center of Buddhism in Asia. Buddhist civilization, including
philosophies and architecture, traveled to Tibet, Southeast Asia, and Indonesia from Bengal. The Buddhist architecture of Cambodia, Indonesia, and Thailand,
including the Angkor Wat Temple and the Borobudur vihara, is believed to have
been inspired by the ancient monasteries of Bangladesh such as the Somapura Mahavihara.
Strange though it may now seem in such an overwhelmingly Muslim country,
Buddhism has been no small player in the nation's history and culture.
Most of the followers of Buddhism in
Bangladesh lives in the Chittagong division. Here, Buddhism is practiced by the
Bengali-speaking Baruas, who are almost
exclusively Buddhist and are concentrated heavily in the Chittagong area as
well as few of the Barua Buddhists live in other parts of Bangladesh, such as
Comilla, Mymensingh, Rangpur, Sylhet districts. Most of the followers of
Buddhism in Bangladesh live in the southeastern region, especially in the Chittagong
Hill Tracts, Chittagong and Comilla district. Most of the Buddhists of Chittagong Hill Tracts
belong to the Chakma, Marma, Mru, Khumi, Bawm, Chak, Kuki, Murang, Tanchangya, and Khiang tribes, who since time immemorial have practiced Buddhism. Other
tribal communities who practice animism, have come under some Buddhist influence. The beliefs and rituals
of the Buddhist communities in this region are amalgamations of Buddhism and
ancient animistic faiths. Buddha
Purnima is the most widely observed
festival among both Bengali Buddhists and Buddhist tribes.
Christianity
Christianity arrived in what is
now Bangladesh during the late sixteenth to early seventeenth centuries AD,
through the Portuguese traders and missionaries. Christians account for approximately
0.4% of the total population and they are mostly urban communities. Roman
Catholicism is predominant among the Bengali Christians, while the remaining
are mostly Baptist and others. Few followers of Christianity are also present
among certain indigenous tribal communities such as Garo, Santal, Orao, Chakma,
Khasi, Lushei, Bawm, etc.
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