New Delhi, January 24 (IANS). There is growing concern over the increasing use of religion in politics in Bangladesh, especially during elections. Serious questions have been raised on this trend in an article published on this subject in an online Bengali news portal of the country.
An article published on the Banglanews24 website cites a study by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) and highlights the growing influence of religious politics. The report said that the lack of a democratic political environment for a long time, the influence of religious fundamentalism and the rise of fundamentalist political forces at the domestic, regional and international levels have created this situation in the country.
According to the report, during elections, some political parties and leaders are seen making promises like “attaining heaven” on support of a particular election symbol, while others seek support in the name of implementing Islamic laws.
The article regrets that despite civilization being modern, such “religious tactics” are continuously increasing in politics. It has been alleged that almost all the parties and leaders in Bangladesh are using religion to pursue their political interests. The report states that leaders of religion-based political parties have been seen in public programs wearing religious attire for a long time and openly use religion during public relations.
The report also mentions allegations of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami seeking votes through promises like giving “ticket to heaven”. At the same time, a senior leader of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has been quoted as saying that this effort of Jamaat is similar to religious tactics like “Dark Age”.
The article also states that in election rallies, male leaders are seen on stage wearing religious caps and women with dupatta or head covering. According to the report, this trend of using religion in politics came to the fore in the 1991 elections, when BNP’s election campaign claimed that if Awami League came to power, Azaan would be stopped and Hindu rituals would be started in mosques.
However, Awami League has also not been considered any different in the report. It said party president and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had started her election campaign from a dargah in the 1996 election campaign wearing a black headscarf and a long-sleeved blouse. According to reports, the party, which is now banned from participating in elections, has been using religion in the last five elections.
Additionally, the report said that Islamic Movement Bangladesh, which had earlier formed an electoral alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami and nine other parties, broke away from that alliance following differences over Shariat law.
Citing TIB’s study, the article states that a total of 51 political parties are participating in the elections to be held in February, with 1,981 candidates in the fray. About 13 percent of these candidates are independent. According to the report, the share of candidates from Islamic parties in the total candidates is 36 percent, which is the highest in the last five elections.
By comparison, the share of candidates from Islamic parties in the 2024 elections was 9.5 percent. Whereas in the 2018 parliamentary elections, it increased to 29.66 percent, which has reached 36 percent in the February elections of 2026.
The report also said the TIB study pointed to the growing influence of Islamic activities in the country’s internal politics and administration.
–IANS
dsc