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| Culture of Bangladesh |
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| Religion | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Islam | 150,360,405 | 91.0% |
| Hinduism | 13,130,109 | 7.95% |
| Buddhism | 1,007,468 | 0.61% |
| Christianity | 495,475 | 0.30% |
| Others | 198,190 | 0.12% |
| Total | 165,158,616 | 100% |
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Sunni Islam is thelargest religion in Bangladesh and in all of itsdistricts, exceptRangamati.[3][4]Hinduism,Buddhism andChristianity are the other major religions in the country. A few people also follow other religions such asSikhism,Bahai Faith,Jainism,Judaism,Zoroastrianism,Ravidassia (Ad-Dharmi) andAnimism.
TheUnited Nations categorizes Bangladesh as a moderate democraticMuslim country.[5][6] TheConstitution of Bangladesh refers to Islam twice: the document begins with the Islamic phraseBismillahir Rahmanir Raheem (Arabic:بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ,lit. 'In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful') and article (2A), added later, declares that: "Islam is thestate religion of the republic".[7] FormerPrime Minister of BangladeshSheikh Hasina stated that Bangladesh would be governed in line with the spirit of the IslamicConstitution of Medina.[8][9]
However,secularism is also one of the four fundamental principles of the Constitution of Bangladesh since 2011,[10] and the country is mostly governed bysecular laws dating from theBritish colonization.[11]The Constitution guaranteesfreedom of religion and declares that "the State shall ensure equal status andequal right in the practice of the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and other faiths and religions".[12] In 2022, Freedom House rated Bangladesh's religious freedom as 2 out of 4.[13]
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islam | 70.3% | |||
| Hinduism | 28% | |||
| Others | 1.7% | |||
East Bengal (present-day-Bangladesh) had a population of 39.12 million by the year (1941), of which 27.5 million people were followers ofIslamic religion representing about (70.3%) of the region's population, while 10.95 million belongs to theHindu faith constituting (28%) of the region.[15] Smaller number of 6.65 lakhs people follows Buddhism, Animism and Christianity together presenting around (1.7%) of the region.
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islam | 85.4% | |||
| Hinduism | 13.5% | |||
| Others | 1.2% | |||
After 1971,East Pakistan became sovereign nation of People republic of Bangladesh. During that time the population of Bangladesh was found to be 68.7 million, of which majority of 58.7 million people professed to Islamic Faith comprising 85.4% of the country's population, Hindus are second largest community with a population of 9.28 million comprising 13.5% of the country's population, while 1.1% practices other religions like Buddhism and Christianity.[16]
Before thePartition of Bengal, it was found that the Muslim population ofWest Bengal stood at 26% and the Hindu population of East Bengal stood at 28% respectively. Soon after partition, Muslim population in West Bengal have reduced from 26% in 1941 to 19% in 1951, while Hindu population in East Bengal have reduced from 28% in 1941 to 22% in 1951.[17]
During 1971 Bangladesh liberation war
It is estimated that during the time ofBangladesh liberation war, an estimated population of around 10 million people most being 80% Hindus fled from East Pakistan to neighbouring India as refugees following the torture of Pakistani army, and after independence nearly an estimated population of 1.5 - 2 million Hindus stayed back in India and never went back.[18]
| Religion in Bangladesh (1901-2022) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islam | Hinduism | Buddhism | Christianity | Others | |
| 1901 | 66.1% | 33.0% | added to others | added to others | 0.9% |
| 1911 | 67.2% | 31.5% | added to others | added to others | 1.3% |
| 1921 | 68.1% | 30.6% | added to others | added to others | 1.3% |
| 1931 | 69.5% | 29.4% | added to others | 0.2% | 1.0% |
| 1941 | 70.3% | 28.0% | added to others | 0.1% | 1.6% |
| Partition of British India | |||||
| 1951 | 76.9% | 22.0% | 0.7% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| 1961 | 80.4% | 18.5% | 0.7% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Independence from Pakistan | |||||
| 1974 | 85.4% | 13.5% | 0.6% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 1981 | 86.6% | 12.1% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 1991 | 88.3% | 10.5% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 2001 | 89.6% | 9.3% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| 2011 | 90.4% | 8.5% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| 2022 | 91.0% | 8.0% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Sources:[19][20][2] | |||||
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TheMuslim population in Bangladesh was over 150.36 million according to the 2022 census which makes Muslims, 91.04% of the population in the country.[2] Estimation shows that over 1 million Rohingya Muslim refugees live in Bangladesh who have come here during the period of (2016–17)massacre in Myanmar.[21] On 28 September 2018, at the 73rd United Nations General Assembly, Bangladeshi Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina said there are 1.1-1.3 millionRohingya refugees in Bangladesh.[22][23]
TheConstitution of Bangladesh declares Islam as thestate 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 eightdivisions of Bangladesh. The overwhelming majority of Bangladeshi Muslims areBengali Muslims at 98 percent, but a small segment about 2 percent of them areBihari Muslims andRohingyas.[citation needed] Almost all Muslims in Bangladesh areSunnis, but there is a smallShia community. There are 2 million Shias in Bangladesh.[24] Although these Shias are few in number, in Dhaka onAshura they bring out mourning processions commemorating the death of the Islamic prophetMuhammad's grandsonHusain ibn Ali.[25][26] Muslims celebrateEid ul-Fitr,Eid ul-Adha,Muharram,Mawlid,Shab-e-Barat andChand Raat all across the country with much fanfare and grandeur. The annualBishwa Ijtema is the largest and most notable congregation of Muslims in Bangladesh. Bangladesh also has a minority ofAhmadiyya Muslims. As of 2004, there are approximately 100,000 Ahmadis in the country.[27][28]
The Muslim community in theBengal region i.e., Bangladesh andWest Bengal (India), developed independently of the dominant Islamic rules in India. Features of Bangladeshi Hinduism, which similar to other parts of South Asia (Indian subcontinent), 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.
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Hinduism is the second largest religious affiliation inBangladesh, with around 13.1 million people identifying themselves as Hindus out of 165.16 million people and making up about 7.95 per cent of the total population as second largest minority according to the recent 2022 census.[29][30] In terms of population, Bangladesh is the third largest Hindu populated country of the world, just after India andNepal.[31]
Bangladeshi Hindus are predominantlyBengali 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 practised in the neighbouring Indian state ofWest Bengal with which Bangladesh (at one time known asEast Bengal) was united until the partition of India in 1947. Hindu festivals ofDurga Puja,Rath Yatra,Dol Yatra (Holi),Janmashtami,Deepabali,Sankranti,Kali Puja,Lakshmi Puja,Saraswati Puja etc. witness jubilant celebrations across various cities, towns and villages of Bangladesh.
About 1 million people in Bangladesh adhere to theTheravada school ofBuddhism. Buddhists form about 0.61 per cent of the population of Bangladesh as per 2022 census. Buddhism is the third largest religion in Bangladesh.[29]
In antiquity, the region of present-day Bangladesh was a center of Buddhism in Asia. Buddhist civilisation, including philosophies and architecture, traveled toTibet, Southeast Asia andIndonesia from Bengal. The Buddhist architecture of Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand, including the Angkor Wat Temple and the Borobudur vihara, are believed to have been inspired by the ancient monasteries of Bangladesh such as theSomapura Mahavihara.
Most of the followers of Buddhism in Bangladesh live in the Chittagong division. Here, Buddhism is practised by the Bengali-speakingBaruas, 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 southeastern region, especially in theChittagong Hill Tracts,Chittagong andComilla district. Most of the Buddhists of Chittagong Hill Tracts belong to the Chakma, Marma, Mru, Khumi, Chak, Murang, Tanchangya and Khiang tribes, who since time immemorial have practised Buddhism. Other tribal communities who practiseanimism, 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 is the fourth largest religion in Bangladesh. Christianity arrived in what is now Bangladesh during the late sixteenth to early seventeenth centuries AD, through the Portuguese traders and missionaries. Christians numbering around half a million account for approximately 0.3 per cent of the total population[29] and they are mostly an urban community. 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 asGaro, Santal, Oraon,Khasi,Lushei, Bawm, etc.
TheSeventh-day Adventist Church and theChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) also exists in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has a small community of theBaháʼí Faith. Baháʼís have spiritual centres in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barisal, Rangpur, Mymensingh, Jessore, Rangamati and other places. There is a National Bahá'í Centre inDhaka.
The origins of the Baháʼí Faith in Bangladesh begin previous to its independence, when it was part of theBritish Raj. The roots of the Baháʼí Faith in the region go back to the first days of theBábí religion in 1844.[32]
According to The Business Standard the population is about 300,000.[33]
The presence of this religion goes back to the visitation ofGuru Nanak in 1506–07 with some of his followers to spread Sikhism in the region of the present-day Bangladesh. When someBengali people accepted this faith, aSikh community was born.[34] This community became bigger when almost 10,000 Sikhs came from India during theBangladesh Liberation War. This community has made great progress in the country. Today there are almost 10gurdwaras in Bangladesh. Among them only 7 are well-known, especially theGurdwara Nanak Shahi beside theUniversity of Dhaka in Dhaka, which was built in 1830, the oldest gurdwara in Bangladesh. There are currently 23,000 Sikhs in Bangladesh.[35][36]
Since the 18th century there have beenJews in what today is Bangladesh, but their number was always very small, often only some few individuals. The Jewish population inEast Bengal was only about 135 Jews at the time of thePartition of British India in 1947.[37]
By the late 1960s, much of the Jewish community had left forCalcutta.[38] According to historian Ziauddin Tariq Ali, a trustee of theLiberation War Museum, "There were two Jewish families in Bangladesh [after independence], but both migrated to India — one in 1973 and the other in 1975."[39] In 2018 there were 4 Jews in Dhaka.[40] Some sources also claim that there are 175 Jews in Bangladesh, and 3,500 with Bangladeshi ancestry.[41] Bangladesh also has a small community of the JewishBnei Menashe Kuki-Chin-Mizo community, they mostly live in Bandarban district.[42]
Jainism likely reached theBengal region, including what is now Bangladesh, by the 5th century BCE. The religion thrived alongsideBuddhism andHinduism in ancient Bengal, during thePala dynasties, during 8th to 12th centuries andSena dynasty from 11th to 12th centuries, Jains enjoyed patronage, leading to the establishment of temples and communities.[43][44]
They contributed to the cultural and architectural development in the region.Alexander Cunningham first discovered a Jaina image atMahasthangarh (Mahasthangad) in 1879, which was later on moved to theVarendra Research Museum, in 1912.[45]
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Jains migrated to urban areas during British colonial rule. After thePartition of India in 1947, many Jains migrated to India due to communal tensions and demographic changes, significantly reducing their population in Bangladesh. There are approximately 1,000 Jains living in Bangladesh now.[citation needed]
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Animism andfolk religions exist in Bangladesh'sChittagong Hill Tracts, among non-Bengali indigenous minorities inNorth Bengal, parts ofSylhet division and theGaro Hills ofMymensingh division.[46][47] In the Bangladeshi religious census, animistic or tribal religions are sometimes recorded under Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity or "Others".[48] Animistic religions in Bangladesh includeSanamahism,Sari Dharam,Sarnaism and others. Sanamahism has followers in Bangladesh. It is primarily practiced byMeiteis and someKhasis, who mainly live in theMymensingh andSylhet divisions.[49][50] Bangladesh also has a very small number ofSarnaist orSari Dharam followers, mostlyMundas orSantalis. They primarily live inRangpur andRajshahi divisions.[51] Other animistic,shamanistic or folk religions in Bangladesh includeSongsarek, practiced by theGaro;[52]Sakhua, practiced by theLushai,Pankho,Bawm andKhyang;[53]Krama, practiced by theMru,Khumi andChak;[54]Niamtre, practiced by theJaintia/Pnar;[55]Ka Niam Khasi, practiced by theKhasi;[56]Tripuri folk religion, practiced by theTripuri;[57] andKiratism, practiced by someRai communities in Bangladesh.[58] In Bangladesh, someChakma,Tanchangya,Marma,Rakhine (Arakanese) andBurmese communities also practiceBurmese/Marma/Arakanese folk religion. These traditions are largely influenced by Buddhism and Hinduism, with rituals and beliefs that mix folk practices with Buddhist and Hindu elements.[59][60][61][62][63][64]
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Bangladesh has a small community ofZoroastrians (Parsis).[65][66] The existence of a legally recognized Zoroastrian community in Bangladesh is evidenced by theParsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1936, which provided a legal framework for the marriage and divorce of members of the Parsi community in the region.[67]
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There is a small community ofRavidassia orAd-Dharmis in Bangladesh.[68][69]
Taoism is present primarily through theChinese diaspora and cultural programmes. Taoist rituals and practices appear alongsideChinese festivals such as theLunar New Year and community events, often combined withBuddhist andConfucianist customs, but it has no large indigenous following.[70][71][72]
Confucianism exists mainly as a cultural and philosophical influence. It is promoted through educational and community programmes withinChinese diaspora circles, focusing on moral and social teachings rather than formal religious practice.[73]
Shintoism is limited toJapanese expatriates and embassy cultural activities. Rites and seasonal observances occur privately or in official events, with no significant local following.[74]
Bangladesh also has a tinyBrahmo Samaj community.[75]
TheJehovah's Witnesses also exist in Bangladesh.[76]
A survey, commissioned by WIN-Gallup International, conducted from 5 November 2014, to 25 November 2014, found that fewer than one per cent of Bangladeshi's said they were "convinced Atheists".[77][78]
In Bangladesh several people especially bloggers, secularists, liberals, non-religious, Non-Muslims have been brutally killed byIslamic militants[79][80][81][82][83] for mocking and questioningIslam.[84] Jihadist Islamic militants in the nation are seen as a key challenge by the Bangladeshi authorities. The Islamist ideologies was imported into Bangladesh in the early 1990s by the jihadist returnees of theSoviet–Afghan War, who wanted to turn Bangladesh into a full-fledged Islamic state ruled by the Sharia (Islamic) law.[85][86][87][88]
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Secularism in Bangladesh is known as "neutrality of religion" (Bengali:ধর্মনিরপেক্ষতা) under Bangladeshi law.[89] In theConstitution of Bangladesh,secularism is mentioned in the preamble as one of the fundamental principles of Bangladeshi law. Article 8 enshrines secularism as one of the fundamental principles of state policy. Article 12 elaborates further on secularism andfreedom of religion.[90]
In 1977, after the assassination ofSheikh Mujibur Rahman (in 1975), secularism was removed from the constitution by aMartial Law directive during the military dictatorship ofZiaur Rahman.[91] In 1988, theParliament of Bangladesh declaredIslam as thestate religion during the presidency ofHussain Muhammad Ershad.[92] After the restoration of parliamentary democracy in 1990, theBangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) andAwami League governments retained Islam as the state religion. In 2010, theBangladesh Supreme Court ruled that the removal of secularism in 1977 was illegal because it was done by an unconstitutional martial law regime. The court reinstated secularism in the constitution. The principle of secularity now co-exists with the state religion.[93][94]
Secularism is a recurring topic in Bangladeshi politics. For example, in 2019, a demand by theHefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh to curtail women's education was dismissed by the Deputy Minister of EducationMohibul Hasan Chowdhury as contrary to the fundamental principles of state policy.[95] Theseparation of religion and state prevails across large parts of Bangladeshi law. However,family law is based onreligious law. Acivil marriage is allowed under the Special Marriages Act 1872 only if one renounces faith in either Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, or Christianity.[96]
Although Bangladesh initially opted for a secular nationalist ideology as embodied in its Constitution, the principle of secularism was subsequently replaced by a commitment to the Islamic way of life through a series of constitutional amendments and government proclamations between 1977 and 1988. During the eighties, the state was designated exclusively Islamic. In 2010, secularism was restored, but Islam remains the nominal state religion per Article 2 (A).[97][12][98]
The Government generally respects this provision in practice; however, some members of the Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, and Ahmadiyya communities experience discrimination. The Government (2001-2006), led by theFour Party Alliance (Bangladesh Nationalist Party,Jamaat-e-Islami,Islami Oikya Jote andBangladesh Jatiya Party) banned the Ahmadiyya literature by an executive order.[citation needed]
Family laws concerning marriage, divorce, and adoption differ depending on the religion of the person involved. There are no legal restrictions on marriage between members of different faiths.[citation needed] Bangladesh is one of the few Muslim-majority countries whereproselytizing is legal, under article 41 of the Constitution, subject to law, public order and morality.[99]
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