"A Question of Coexistence: Issues Faced by Religious Minorities in Bangladesh"

 "Addressing Systemic Discrimination Against Religious Minorities in Bangladesh: A Multi-Theoretical Approach"

Tahsin Tasnia Nuha 

January 9,2024

 

Bangladesh in spite of it's sacred commitment of secularism have seen developing strict radicalism and segregation. Minorities including Hindus,Buddhists,Christians ,Shi'a Muslims and Ahmadiyya Muslims face serious discrimination,mistreatments,attacks, social rejection and difficulties to cope up with majorities because of their beliefs .Sometimes the discrimination appears in different structures, from monetary minimization to vicious attacks like bombing ,blasphemy related attacks etc. According to The report Under Threat: The Challenges Facing Religious Minorities in Bangladesh by Minority Rights Group International (2016) ,“Latest chapter ina long history of discrimination and segregation that

stretches back to the country's independence and the

Legacy of colonialism, Partition in 1947, the bloody 

In 1971, the civil war reduced the Hindu population in particular was targeted as Hindus are the biggest minority in Bangladesh”.

Sporadic clashes continued on Friday as over 200 protesters attacked a Hindu temple. (File)

There are several forms of discrimination minorities face in Bangladesh.One of the major discrimination minorities face is political Marginalization. Minorities are often underpresented in both neighborhood and public administration .Very few minority candidates are nominated by political parties for election which limits their voice and sometimes restricts their voice to influence the decision making process.Due to lack of their representation in politics minorities are frequently scapegoated during political violence.According to Voice of America(2024), “Religious minorities claim their communities have been violently attacked in the power vacuum since August 5, when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and left Bangladesh due to student-led opposition protests”. “There has long been a perception that the Hindu minority supports in particular Sheikh Hasina and particular Awami League,who surrendered her post and escaped to India after a popular uprising at 5th August 2024 and hindus were subjected to violence by the opposition party of Awami League”.(The New York Times,2024).Another form of discrimination minorities face is institutional discrimination .Though Bangladesh Government promised for equality still minorities face biases within legal and governmental institutions.Many minority families have been forcibly removed by the Vested Property Act, which was first passed to seize Hindu-owned land.

The restitution process is still slow and discriminatory in spite of reforms. Even they face challenges in seeking proper justice too.We can see gender based discrimination quite often in Bangladesh. For example:Ladies from minority networks face the double weight of strict and orientation based segregation. Instances of constrained changes, sexual viciousness, and badgering are uncontrolled, frequently pointed toward scaring whole networks.If we look at these we can see a common thing here behind these discrimination against minorities and that is Religion. Religion plays a crucial role behind all this forms of discrimination. Attacks happened against 

minorities often motivated by radical ideologies. Radical ideologies are groups of ideas or precepts that support significant and revolutionary adjustments to the social, political, or economic systems that are currently in place.These ideologies, which seek to rectify alleged injustices or inequalities in society, frequently question established conventions and ideals.We can address this problem using Utilitarianism theory.It is a ethical theory that oppose deeds that bring about harm or misery and support deeds that promote happiness. we apply utilitarianism, proposed by Jeremy Bentham in An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (1781), is an ethical theory that seeks to maximize overall happiness or well-being. According to Bentham(1781), Actions are morally right if they contribute to the greatest good for the greatest number of people.As a predominant Muslim country the majority people's view on religion often shape the law in Bangladesh. Discrimination is often exacerbated by the intersection of religious identification with other social circumstances.In Bangladesh, for example, where the majority religion is Muslim, policies or societal norms that favor the majority can be 'justified' under utilitarian principles. For example, it would seem that privileging Muslim values and practices would maximize societal harmony and happiness. But this approach is blinded to the well-being of minorities whose marginalization brings about suffering.On the other hand, “In developing utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill contended that long-term utility requires respect for justice and individual rights”. (Mill, 1863)By sustaining inequality and unrest, discrimination against religious minorities threatens the happiness of society. For example, denying non-Muslims fair access to justice, property, and representation not only marginalizes them but also causes structural instability, which runs counter to utilitarian notions of happiness.From utilitarianism perspective according to Bentham (1781), “Promoting the highest level of happiness should be the goal of governance”.When minorities feel excluded and dealt with unfairly, it causes distrust and conflict. A society full of tension and division cannot achieve lasting happiness since justice and fairness are key in keeping everyone content .Like any other group, non-Muslims contribute to Bangladesh's economic, social, and cultural prosperity but when they are undervalued, their potential commitments are suppressed, which results in a lack of opportunities for cultural growth. According to utilitarianism it halts maximizing the benefit for Bangladesh overall prosperity and avoiding this reduces the total good.

We can address these problems happened against minorities specially minority women by applying Marxist feminist theory. “Marxist feminist theory argues that capitalism, which exploits women's work and maintains their unequal status in society, and patriarchy, or male dominance, are both responsible for women's oppression” (Mackay, n.d.).According to Marxist feminist lens,Intersections of religious oppression in Bangladesh take place with class and gender hierarchies. Religious differences increase economic and social disparities, especially for minority women, who are suffering from dual oppression because of their religious and gender identity and economic system in Bangladesh also exaggerated the dual oppression. For example:Minority women often engage in low wage labor like cooking for tourists in resorts, laboring in tea state etc which limits their access .It increases their economic hardship. “Marxist feminists contend that class inequality and capitalist modes of production, which disproportionately harm minority women, are the primary causes of this kind of exploitation”(Mackay, n.d.)

On the other hand,Care ethics emphasizes the importance of relational interdependence and the moral significance of care in human life. The systemic neglect of minority women's needs in Bangladesh, from this perspective, represents a failure of care and responsibility at the social level. For instance, the lack of culturally appropriate healthcare services for indigenous women shows an ethical failure to address their specific needs (Khan et al., 2023).

As Shreya mentioned discrimination against minorities applying Deontology and Rawl’s theory. Deontology places a strong emphasis on acting morally upright in accordance with universal precepts, independent of the results. The state's duty duty to defend religious minorities is a useful example that demonstrates how Kant's moral philosophy is violated when this duty is neglected, as is the case in Bangladesh. I fully agree with this analysis because deontology's emphasis on universal laws is consistent with guaranteeing impartial protection for minorities.On the other hand she mentions Rawls' "Veil of Ignorance" emphasis on justice provides a potent tool for proposing objective policies. The argument is made relatable and useful by using the example of lawmakers imagining a world in which they are ignorant of their own religion. This is in line with the goal of giving Bangladesh's minorities fair treatment and equal opportunities. Since Rawls' principle guarantees that no one is left out, I also agree with this.Whereas both theories have immense importance, one can argue that at certain places, deontology sometimes leads to an inflexibility-which an absolute adherence to rules and regulations cannot keep in place, considering the practical complexities of Bangladesh. On the contrary, Rawls's method is more relevant for constructing just policies; however, the direct moral requirement that deontology calls for is not there in them.

The religious minorities of Bangladesh are victimized through systemic discrimination that needs to be addressed without delay for the assurance of their rights and protection. Combining utilitarianism ,Marxist feminist theory and care ethics offers a balanced approach to create inclusive society for all.

References:

1.Minority Rights Group International. (2016). Under Threat: The Challenges Facing Religious Minorities in Bangladesh.

https://minorityrights.org/app/uploads/2023/12/mrg-rep-ban-oct16-online.pdf

2.VOA News. (2024, August 20). In Bangladesh, religious minorities targeted during political unrest. Voice of America. https://www.voanews.com/a/in-bangladesh-religious-minorities-targeted-during-political-unrest/7750077.html

3.Barry, E., & Mashal, M. (2024, August 7). Bangladesh faces political unrest amid leadership crisis. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/07/world/asia/bangladesh-politics-unrest.html

4.McKay, K. (n.d.). Feminism and feminist ethics. Retrieved from

https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/jose-rizal-memorial-state-university/philosophy-of-law/feminist-ethics/65983585

5.Bentham, J. (1781). An introduction to the principles of morals and legislation. Batoche Books.

6.Mill, J. S. (2001). Utilitarianism (Original work published 1863). Batoche Books.

7.Khan, S. S., Islam, M. S., & Rahman, M. M. (2023). Racism and access to maternal health care among Garo indigenous women in Bangladesh: A qualitative study. International Journal for Equity in Health, 22, Article 106.