Historians and academics on Wednesday stressed the need for imposing a restriction on religion-based politics in South Asian countries, including Bangladesh, to establishing secular societies.
“We’re concerned that the use of religion in South Asian countries is on the rise, and it gets intensified ahead of national elections in all the countries, including Bangladesh,” Prof Muntassir Mamoon, a teacher of Dhaka University’s History Department, told a press conference in the afternoon.
Bangladesh Itihas Sammilani, an organisation of history practitioners, arranged the press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).
Prof Mamoon said militancy had emerged in Bangladesh during the last BNP-Jamaat regime (2001-2006), while Narendra Modi has appeared in India and Sri Lanka saw sectarian violence between Muslim and Buddhists recently.
“The democratic institutions are facing trouble while society is getting divided, development activities bracing for challenges and people suffering more due to religion-based politics,” he said.
The historian said Bangladesh Itihas Sammilani is going to organise a two-day international public lecture series on ‘Religion and Politics: South Asia’ at Cirdap in the capital on October 4-5 to promote the practice of people-oriented and non-communal history.
Eminent historians from South Asian countries, including host Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka, will deliver their lectures on religion and politics during the conference.
Shahriar Kabir, a journalist and writer, said religion-based politics is increasing at an alarming rate in different countries. “The security is under threat in South Asian countries due to religion-based politics,” he said.
He said that they are trying to form an international network to fight against religion-based politics to establish secular societies.
Assaduzzaman Noor, MP, and Prof Mesbah Kamal, a teacher of DhakaUniversity’s History Department, also spoke at the press conference.
Source: UNBConnect
