Islamization in ‘Secular’ Bangladesh : Beyond Bipolar Opposition

This volume adds to the increasingly important debate on religion and modernity and their complex interplay in Muslim-majority societies. Taking up the case of Bangladesh, the discussions are highly topical given the recent upsurges in the country. The volume offers a comprehensive perspective on the changing dynamics of Islamization and secularization processes in Bangladeshi society and deconstructs the binary opposition between religion and secular modernity as inapplicable not just to Bangladesh but also to Muslim societies elsewhere. The contributors mostly apply anthropological approaches to cover four broad themes: transformation of identity beyond Islamization and secularization; Islamic movements in democratic arena; Islamic culture in public sphere; and beyond polarization of women’s liberation and Islamization. They cast light on religion and modernity, identity politics, development, globalization, the digital space, Islamic movements, and gender identity and patriarchal structure in Bangladesh. The incisive analyses of the cases and themes presented here will help readers understand how Islamization intersects with secularization/modernity in Bangladesh, within the broader South Asian sociopolitical context. The volume is of interest to scholars of Bangladesh studies, and historians, anthropologists, feminists, political scientists, and researchers of South Asia. Policy makers and development and non-governmental professionals will also benefit from the issues, cases, and myriad examples incorporated in this volume.