Vol 23. Num 2. 2021. Article 4 - Islam, Neoliberalism, and Intolerance in Bangladesh - An Analysis

This article problematizes the relationship between neoliberal economic policies and the resurgence of a certain kind of Islamic religiosity in contemporary Bangladesh. It reflects the findings of an empirical study based on a multi-method approach to explore the macro-cultural impacts of the relationship between neoliberalism and Islam in the country and the embedded, nuanced, and complex set of economic and political relationships that appear to fuel social inequality, engender inequitable distribution and growth, and facilitate an ongoing marginalization of minority groups, in which “othering” among the equals emerge as a cemented outcome. Empirical findings suggest that premature or unplanned applications of neoliberal economic policies based on client-patron relations are the main precursors behind these outcomes and they continue to adversely affect Bangla language, Bengali cultures, the country’s advanced education sector, and the overall ability for Bangladeshis to think critically and form and produce social relations. Evidence further indicates Bengali cultures appear to become increasingly embedded in a number of rituals in the name of Islamic principles and philosophy. The article refers to this phenomenon as the “great” transformation of contemporary Bangladesh.