COURSE: Bangladesh History and Culture

COURSE CODE: His101

SECTION: 02

TITLE: Religious Minority of Bangladesh

SUBMITTED TO: Professor Dr. Mohammad Mozahidul Islam

MEMBERS ID

Redwan Ahmed 1610428630

Safa Shikder 1530590630

Muna Ahmed Shila 1530599630

Khadija Tasnim 1521967030

Fatema Tuz Zohora 1521966030
Ashraful Alam Jawad 1610980043
Bayzid Mahmud 1731572643

Farhan Naiem 1813648630

1|Page
 CONTRIBUTION TABLE

Safa Shikder Introduction

Redwan Ahmed Buddhism

Khadiza Tasnim Other Minor Religions

Muna Ahmed Shila Christianism

Fatema Tuz Zohora Conclusion

Ashraful Alam Jawad Hinduism

Bayzid Mahmud Islamization in Bangle

Farhan Naiem Sikhsm

2|Page
 Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................4

BUDDHISM..............................................................................................................................7

Buddhism in ancient Bengal..................................................................................................8

Fall of Buddhism in Bengal...................................................................................................9

Current condition of Buddhism in Bangladesh....................................................................10

Buddhist population in Bangladesh.....................................................................................10

Ancient Buddhist Universities in Bangladesh......................................................................11

HINDUISM..............................................................................................................................12

CHRISTIANISM.....................................................................................................................15

Christianism in ancient Bengal............................................................................................15

Current condition of Christianism in Bangladesh................................................................17

SIKHISM.................................................................................................................................17

Sikhism in Bangladesh.........................................................................................................18

Dietary Restrictions……………………………………………………………………......20

Other religion………………………………………………………………………………20

Islamization in Bangle……………………………………………………………………..20

…………………………………………………………………….21

…………………………………………………………………….22

Other religions in Bangladesh..................................................................................................22

Bahá’í...................................................................................................................................23

3|Page
 Shi’a.....................................................................................................................................23

Biharis..................................................................................................................................23

Adivasis................................................................................................................................24

CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................26

4|Page
 INTRODUCTION
The period of religious history begins with the invention of writting about 5220 years

ago(3200BCE). The concept of "religion" was formed in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate

humanity to an order of existence. Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred

histories that are intended to explain the meaning of life and/or to explain the origin of life or

the Universe. Sociologist Louis Wirth defined a minority group as "a group of people who,

because of their physical or cultural characteristics, are singled out from the others in the

society in which they live for differential and 7 unequal treatment and who therefore regard

themselves as objects of collective discrimination ."Generally, the minority is thought of as

the opposite of the majority. In democratic societies, it is based on the numerical ratio to the

population as a whole in a particular place. But in international law the term “minority” is

commonly used in more restricted sense. It has come to refer to a particular kind of group,

which differs from the dominant group within the state. A group whose religious obligations

result in patterns of behavior among its members that result in discriminatory treatment by

the mainstream society. Bangladesh rests on a set of primordial socio-cultural, linguistic and

religious identities that have been distinctively shaped by the history of the Bengal delta. The

socio-economic system around which modern civilization has grown up in Bengal is derived

from a distinctive cultural-religious ideology. As a result, relatively flexible religious

ideologies were mobilized around the mode of production and economic life of the people.

Subsequent attempts to construct a unique linguistic or religious identity within Bangladesh

have tended to ignore the multiple identities around issues of language, class and profession,

and this has occasionally served to provoke confrontation and violence. The Indian sub-

continent in particular has witnessed many scenes of communal conflict between majority

5|Page
and minority. The partitioning of India left a large minority community in both India and

Pakistan. Also, the history of the birth of Pakistan was associated with unprecedented

communal strife and bitterness. Present day Bangladesh was a part of Pakistan until the

latter’s dismemberment in 1971. India was partitioned in 1947 on the basis of “two- nation”

theory and Pakistan came into existence as a Muslim state. But this Muslim state was left

with a large non-Muslim minority, particularly in East Bengal (now Bangladesh). The non-

Muslims made up nearly one-fourth of the total population of East Bengal after partition and

accounted for approximately 14 percent of the entire population of Pakistan. Before 1947 the

minorities, especially the Hindus were politically, economically and socially dominant in

East Bengal. The establishment of Pakistan reversed that dominance. The Hindu minority in

East Bengal began its life in the new political system in an atmosphere of communal hatred,

distrust and disgrace. The majority ethnicity is Bengali, an ethno-linguistic group, comprising

over 98 per cent of the population. According to the 2011 Census, approximately 1.8 per cent

of the population are indigenous ‘Adivasis’, amounting to around 1.6 million – though some

community representatives claim the actual figure is considerably higher. The majority live in

the plains of the north and southeast, as well as the Chittagong Hill Tracts, where they are

also referred to as Jumma. The predominant groups are Chakmas, Marma and Tripura. The

government recognizes 27 ethnic groups but not does recognize the concept of minority.

6|Page
 BUDDHISM
Buddhism is a religion of training and spiritual improvement prompting Insight into the

rational idea of the real world. Practices like meditation are the ways to build up certain

characteristics in an individual such as- awareness, open minded, generosity, and kindness.

The experience created inside the Buddhist custom more than a large number of years has

made a unique asset for every one of the individuals who wish to follow a way — a way

which eventually comes full circle in Enlightenment or Buddhahood. An illuminated

individual can see the nature clearly and feel the connection with it. Buddhism basically

follows that purpose. The goal behind this spiritual Buddhist life is to represent the end of

suffering of any living being. The basic doctrines of early Buddhism, which remain common

to all Buddhism, include the four noble truths : existence is suffering dukhka; suffering has

a cause, namely craving and attachment trishna; there is a cessation of suffering, which is

nirvana ; and there is a path to the cessation of suffering, the eightfold path of right views,

right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and

right concentration. Buddhism characteristically describes reality in terms of process and

relation rather than entity or substance. The founder of this religion was Siddhartha

Gautama a.k.a. Gautam Buddha.

7|Page
 Buddhist Temple in Banderban

Buddhism in ancient Bengal

According to the myth, it is said that, Gautam Buddha visited this region once and was

successful to convert a few people in this religion. Later, it gained popularity in the time

when Ashoka, an emperor of the Maurya dynasty came in power in 268 BCE. One of the

biggest events which happened at the time of the Mauryas, was the establishment of

Mahasthangarh, which is a very significant establishment of Buddhism in Bengal. The

revelation of a Mauryan engraving in Brahmi characters at Mahasthangarh in the which is

situated in Bogra bearing the name Pudanagala (Pundranagara) and the discovery of

numerous Mauryan coins and different curios dating from the fourth and third hundreds of

years BCE recommend that the Gangetic delta was heavily influenced by the Mauryan realm.

So, Buddhism existed in Bengal from a very ancient time. Gupta era showed Buddhism faith.

There is archaeological evidence to corroborate Fa-hien's account about the thriving state of

Buddhism in the Gupta period. An inscription found at Gunaigarh near comilla, bearing the

year 188 of the Gupta era (506 or 507 AD), records a gift of land by Maharaja Vainya Gupta

in favour of the Buddhist Avaivarttika Sangha of the Mahayana sect. The Pala dynasty

founder, Gopala was a Buddhist and throughout the whole Pala dynasty, Buddhism was quite

famous in ancient Bengal. This was the golden age of Buddhism in this region. According to

the Tibetan traditions, emperor Gopala established a monastery known as Nalanda along with

8|Page
some other religious schools. His footsteps were followed by his son, Dharmapala, who is

said to have founded the famous Vikramashila Vihara on a hilltop on the bank of the Ganges

in Magadha. Puranchandra, Subarnachandra and their successors accepted this religion and

they used to rule over Harikel and Chndradip (Barisal).

MAHASTHANGARH in Bogra

Fall of Buddhism in Bengal

At the time of the Turkic conquest in 1202, there were many actions taken by the people in

power at that time to destroy this religion from Bengal. Buddhist learning centers were

destroyed at that time in large scale. The disintegration of Nalanda University is an example

of those destructive actions at that time. In resulting hundreds of years and up through the

1980s, about all the rest of the Buddhists lived in the locale around Chittagong, which had not

been altogether conquered until the time of the British Raj (1858–1947). During the

9|Page
nineteenth century, a recovery development built up that prompted the improvement of two

sets of Theravada priests, the Sangharaj Nikaya and the Mahasthabir Nikaya.

Current condition of Buddhism in Bangladesh

In the Chittagong Hills, Buddhist tribes shaped most of the populace, and their religion

seemed to be a blend of local tribal beliefs and Buddhist regulations. As per the 1981

statistics, there were around 538,000 Buddhists in Bangladesh, which is basically under 1

percent of the populace. Over 65% of the Buddhist population is concentrated in the

Chittagong Hill Tracts region, where it is the predominant faith of the Chakma, Marma,

Tanchangya, other Jumma people and the Barua. The remaining 35% are from the Bengali

Buddhist community. Buddhist communities are present in the urban centers of Bangladesh,

particularly Chittagong and Dhaka.

Buddhism started to become a minor religion in this area from 1200 ACE. Currently, with

about 2% of the population, this is the 3rd largest religion in Bangladesh.

Buddhist population in Bangladesh-

District Percentage (%)

Chittagong < 0.06

Rangamati 12.65

Cox's Bazar 0.55

Bandarban 0.03

10 | P a g e
 Khagrachhar
< 0.08
i

Dhaka 0.23

Munshiganj 0.2

Ancient Buddhist Universities in Bangladesh

 Somapura Mahavihara in Naogaon, Rajshahi Division.

 Jagaddala Mahavihara in Naogaon, Rajshahi

 Halud Vihara in Naogaon, Rajshahi

 Agrapuri Vihara in Naogaon, Rajshahi

 Vasu Vihara in Bogra, Rajshahi

 Sitakot Vihara in Nawabganj, Rangpur Division.

 Bhitagarh in Panchagarh District, Rangpur Division.

 Pandit Vihara in Chittagong

 Bikrampur Vihara in Bikrampur, Dhaka Division.

 Shalban Vihara in Comilla

 Wari-Bateshwar ruins in Narsingdi, Dhaka Division.

11 | P a g e
 HINDUISM
Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world and more than one billion pursuant all over

the globe. It ranks just below Christianity and Islam and is considered to be one of the

world’s oldest active religion. Hinduism doesn’t have any specific set of teachings, nor a

specific holy doctrine or founder. It is considered that it may have originated as far back as

3000 BEC, with the Indus Valley Civilization, near the current border of India and Pakistan.

Although Hinduism is commonly classified as a religion, it is also considered a philosophy

and culture. Because the belief system has no standard method of practice, it’s considered to

be one of the most tolerant religions in the world. Hinduism is closely associated with other

eastern religions. One of the major distinguishing features of Hinduism, compared to the

most other active religions, is it’s believed in multiple deities. The primary three are Shiva,

Vishnu, and Brahma, but there are others. However, some Hindus consider these deities to be

manifestations of a single cosmic spirit called brahman, who is genderless and omnipotent.

Currently, about 15% of the world population subscribes to the Hinduism, within roughly

99% of Hindu residing in India and Nepal. In nations like Mauritius, Fiji, and Guyana,

Hindus also constitute a very large minority. In America, there are also about 2 million

Hindus and make up about half of a percent of the population. Hinduism started in south Asia

and continues to thrive there. India’s relation with Hinduism is very strong and deep. India’s

Prime Minister is also a Hindu. However, as its influence is limited outside Asia, the religion

will most likely stay in the number three spot, behind Christianity and Islam, for a long time

to come.

Bengali Hindus are the second biggest network in Assam with a populace of 3 million

(9.12%). They are amassed in the Barak Valley locale and the number of inhabitants in

Bengali Hindus in Barak valley is 1,812,141 making up 50.1% of the all-out populace of the

12 | P a g e
area. According to 2011 statistics, the Bengali talking populace of Assam is a little over 91

lakhs, which is about 29% of the all-out populace of Assam. About 31% of the Bengali

talking individuals are Hindus. In Jharkhand, the Bengali Hindu populace is 2.5 million

(8.09%).

In the medieval period around the middle of the eighth century during the ruling period of

Gopala who was the founder of the Pala Dynasty, Hinduism started to spread throughout the

country. During this time the Hindus of Bengal were very Gorgeous in literature, philosophy,

art, philosophy, mathematics, and science.

In Tripura, Bengali Hindus structure the larger part because of migration from neighboring

East Pakistan during 1971 accordingly Tripura become a Bengali dominant part state.

Bengali Hindus include about 59.81% of the state populace which is around 2.19 million

individually through tribal is 40.92% of the state populace which is around 1.63 million

starting in 2011.

There are likewise countless Bengali Hindus living in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands,

evaluated roughly 100,000 including 26% of the populace. Bengali is likewise the most

broadly communicated in the language in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, regardless of its

lack of authority status.

The artistic advancement of the Pala and Sena period stopped after the Turkish victory in the

mid-thirteenth century. Aside from Haridas Datta's Manasar Bhasan, no noteworthy abstract

work was created for about a century after the conquest.[32] Even however the decision

classes opposed the intruders, Gauda, the focal point of Bengal commonwealth, tumbled to

the Islamic trespassers. During this period many sanctuaries and religious communities were

despoiled.

During the decay of the Mughal Empire, Nawabs of Bengal (who were Muslim) managed an

enormous piece of Bengal. During the rule of Alivardi Khan. a Nawab, the extreme tax

13 | P a g e
assessment and regular strikes made the existence hopeless for the normal Bengali

individuals. An area of the Bengali Hindu honorability helped the British East India

Company in ousting the Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah system. In the wake of acquiring the income

rights, the East India Company forced progressively abusive tax collection that prompted the

starvation of 1770, wherein around 33% of the Bengali populace kicked the bucket of

starvation.

The British started to confront solid obstruction in overcoming the semi-free Bengali Hindu

realms outside the pale of Muslims involved Bengal. At times, in any event, when their rulers

have been caught or killed, the conventional individuals started to carry on the battle. These

protections appeared as Bhumij (Chuar is a derogatory term utilized by the English to mean

the Bhumij) and Paik Rebellion. These warring individuals were later recorded as criminal

tribes and banished from enrollment in the Indian armed force. In 1766, the British soldiers

were directed by the sanyasis and fakirs or the warrior priests at Dinhata, where the last turn

guerrilla fighting. Bankim Chandra's Anandamath depends on the Famine and important

Sannyasi Rebellion.

Hinduism is the second biggest strict alliance in Bangladesh, covering about 8.7% of the

populace, as indicated by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics for the 2011 Bangladesh

enumeration. As far as the populace, Bangladesh is the third biggest Hindu state on the planet

after India and Nepal. As indicated by a gauge from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics

(BBS), there were 17 million Hindus in Bangladesh as of 2015.

In nature, Bangladeshi Hinduism intently looks like the structures and customs of Hinduism

rehearsed in the neighboring Indian province of West Bengal, with which Bangladesh (at one

time known as East Bengal) was joined until the parcel of India in 1947. By far most of

Hindus in Bangladesh are Bengali Hindus.

14 | P a g e
 CHRISTIANISM
Christianity is a significant religion coming from the life, lessons, and passing of Jesus of

Nazareth (the Christ, or the Anointed One of God) in the first century CE. It has the biggest

number of followers of the world's religions and, topographically, the most generally diffused

all things considered. It has a body electorate of in excess of two billion adherents. Its biggest

gatherings are the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox holy places, and the

Protestant holy places. The Oriental Orthodox places of worship establish perhaps the most

seasoned part of the convention however had been out of contact with Western Christianity

and Eastern Orthodoxy from the center of the fifth century until the late twentieth century as

a result of a disagreement about Christology (the regulation of Jesus Christ's inclination and

essentialness). Huge developments inside the more extensive Christian world and here and

there rising above denominational limits are Pentecostalism, Charismatic Christianity,

Evangelicalism, and fundamentalism. Likewise, there are various free holy places all through

the world.

Christianism in ancient Bengal

Indian Christians claim that the Christian religion arrived at the Indian subcontinent in the

first century A.D. According to the myth, St. Thomas, the Apostle acquainted Christian

confidence with India in 52 A.D. what's more, changed over a gathering of individuals of the

Malabar shoreline of Kerala in South India by 58 A.D. From that point, different missionaries

from Syria, Roman Catholic (particularly the Jesuits) and Protestant—toiled in Kerala at

various occasions.

The Portuguese first presented Christianity in Bengal in the sixteenth century AD. For around

two centuries, preaching work was continued primarily by two Roman Catholic groups: the

Jesuits and the Augustinians. The Augustinians set up themselves there in 1621 and absolved

15 | P a g e
a large number of the locals who had been caught in the piratical strikes in the Ganges delta

territory. Later in the seventeenth century, Nagari turned into a significant focus, following

the transformation of around 20,000 mostly low-standing Hindus by Antonio de Rozario,

child of the raja of Bhushna (Jessore), who had himself changed over to Christianity. By the

1690s there were 13 Augustinian houses of worship in Bengal, however most of Christians

got just simple guidance and would in general relocate to new focuses as they rose in

significance including the English settlement at Kolkata from 1690, where the Augustinians

assembled a sanctuary. In 1696 the French selected a Jesuit to serve the Christians at

Chandannagar. The Armenians assembled a congregation at Chinsura in 1695 and

accordingly others at Kolkata and Dhaka.

The British East India appointed ministers, and the Anglican parish of Kolkata was built up in

1813-4. In any case, before 1813 the Company prohibited preacher work because of a

paranoid fear of alienating the individuals; consequently, it was permitted inside an official

approach of strict lack of bias.

Christian population in South Asia

16 | P a g e
Current condition of Christianism in Bangladesh

Christians represent under 1% of the population of this country. The complete Christian

population in Bangladesh is around 370,000, out of which, 221,000 are Roman Catholics, the

rest being Orthodox and non-denominational.

Holy Rosary Church, Bangladesh

SIKHISM
Sikhism is one of the youngest of the major world religions and is the fifth largest organized

religion and the world's ninth-largest overall religion. The fundamental beliefs of Sikhism,

expressed clearly in the sacred scripture Guru Granth Sahib, include faith and meditation on

the name of the one creator, divine unity and equality of all human involving in selfless

service, striving for justice for the benefit and prosperity of all while living a householder's

life. In the early 21st century, there are about 25 million Sikhs.

A Sikh, Punjabi sikh, is a follower of Sikhism and member of a social group with similar

culture, customs, and beliefs. It is a monotheistic religion. Sikhism (Sikhi in Punjabi) mainly

17 | P a g e
originated in 15th century Punjab region of South Asia and now is a part of one of the major

religions with very strong supporters throughout the world. Sikhism has a lot of common

values of both Hinduism and Islam along with independent traditions.

Sikhism is based on the spiritual teachings of the first Guru, Guru Nanak, (1469–1539), and

the nine Sikh gurus that were his successors. The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, named the

Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib as his successor, terminated the line of human Gurus and

made the scripture the eternal, religious spiritual guide for Sikhs. Sikhism rejects claims that

any specific religious tradition has a power on Absolute Truth.

The Sikh scripture opens with Ik Onkar and fundamental prayer about One Supreme Being

God. Sikhism emphasizes simran, meditation on the words of the Guru Granth Sahib, that can

be expressed musically through kirtan or internally through Nam Japo, repeating God's name

as a means to feel God's presence. It teaches followers to transform the "Five Thieves”, lust,

rage, greed, attachment, and ego. Guru Nanak taught that living an active, creative, and

practical life of truthfulness, faithfulness, self-control and purity is above the metaphysical

truth, and the ideal man is one who "establishes union with God, knows his will, and works

accordingly to his will.

Sikhism in Bangladesh

Sikhs constitute a small minority in Bangladesh. They usually come from abroad and live

here for a short period of time. Sikh gurus also did not stay very long in Bangladesh to pass

along their religion. During the Mughal and British rule, Sikh soldiers were posted to

Bangladesh for short periods. They were very reserved and did not develop close

relationships with the local people from whom they different not only in religion but also in

language and lifestyle. Sikhism exists in Bangladesh as a minor religion with approximately

15000-20000 followers. There are seven gurudwaras, according to the grand secretary of

Gurudwara management .They are: Gurdwara Guru Nanak Chowk Bazar, Dhaka; Gurdwara
18 | P a g e
Nanak Shahi, Dhaka university campus, Dhaka; Gurdwara Sangat Tola, Dhaka; Gurdwara Sri

Guru Tegh Bahadur; Sikh Temple Chowk Bazaar, Chittagong; Sikh Temple Punjabi Lane

Phahartali, Chittagong; Gurdwara Sahib Shivpuri, Mymensingh. The main Sikh temple in

Bangladesh is Gurdwara Nanak Shahi located on the campus of Dhaka University. All the

above Sikh Gurdwaras are run by charitable funds. In 1945, the Gurdwara at Mymensingh

was built inside the Ganjer Park beside a kalimandir. Singh, A Bangali Sikh, Heera Singh

was appointed to assume the charge of supervisor but all Sikhs left the place during the

partition in 1947.

The Sikh faith is committed to the equal rights of women as it defines God as gender neutral,

perhaps one of the few major world religions to do so. There is no such activity in a

gurudwara or within the community that is permitted to a man but not to a woman. There is

no religious function from which women are restricted any time of their lives.

GURDWARA in Dhaka

19 | P a g e
Dietary Restrictions

Sikhs have no food prohibitions except those that stem from one simple injunction – a life of

moderation in which we banish all that harms the body or the mind. Sacrificing animals is

forbidden and so is the consumption of animals killed in such manner. All intoxicants –drugs,

tobacco, alcohol or any mind altering or changing recreational drugs are forbidden.

Other Religions

Sikhism recognizes the universal truths that are the cause of all human attempts, religions,

and belief systems, though people differ in how they establish those beliefs into a code of

conduct and a way of life. As much as Sikhs love their religion, Sikhism equally respects and

accepts other ways of life and beliefs. Sikhism asks a non-Sikh to discover and live the

essential message and meaning of his or her own religion so that a Christian can become a

better Christian, Jew a better Jew, Hindu a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim while a

Sikh becomes a better Sikh.

Islamization in Bangle

It took a long time to come Islam in Bangle. When the Muslim rulers come here in Bangle

and start to rule in Bangle, from that time Islam started to spread all over in Bangle. Mainly

in 13th century was the starting time of Muslim rule in Bangle. Before that Arab Muslim

contact with Bangle for commercial reason which was very limited for the long distance.

When Afghan’s rulers come to India that time by the hand of Bakhtiyar Khalji Islam enter to

Bangle. He was a military general of Deli Sultanate. He was encourage by Aibak Qutbuddin

20 | P a g e
the viceroy of sultan Muhammad Ghori and also entrusted him with conquered territories and

continue spread the kingdom. After that he suddenly attack Bangle and capture Nadia the

capital of king Laksmanasena and give dawah to everyone to convert in Muslim and it was

that time when everyone accept that dawah willingly and converted to Muslim and the

Buddhist community started to break and take a huge damage for the converting of people in

Muslim.

After the death of Bakhtiyar Khilji there were three people Ali Mardan, Husamuddin Iwaz

and Muhammad Shiran fought each other for the throne they were Bakhtiyar’s general and

finaly Husamuddin Iwaz sit on the throne and and the struggle and continue to spread the

kingdom all over the country. He was also a noble Muslim ruler.

After Iwaz’s death in 1227 Bangle was rule by a series of ruler under Deli Sultanate. For the

distance of Deli to Bangle there was a problem of rebelution whenever they get a chance to

act against the Sultan they start to rebel against the Sultan and always crushed by the Deli

Sultan. This was getting a big problem that’s why Deli Sultan divided Bangle in three part

which was Lakhnauti, Satgaon and Sonargoan. Even after that this struggle continue till 1338

and lead to the Iiiyas Shahi rule which was the beginning of the independent Sultanate in

Bangle. The independent Sultanate in Bangle continued for two hundred years from 1338 to

1538.

Illyas Shahi ruled Bangle for almost one hundred and fifty years 1342 to 1487 with an

interruotion by a hindu king called Genasha about a twenty-three years 1412-1435/36. In this

time the Muslim ruler open all door for the local and welcome their participation to arts and

literature and everywhere that’s why the conversion from Hindu to Muslim keep increasing.

Even the alien Muslim rule started from this time.

21 | P a g e
After the Illyas Shahi period start the Husain Shahi rule from 1494 to 1538 and end of the

independent Sultanate of Bangle. After that it began the era of chaos for Bangle which bring

her to seventeenth century. After the death of Daud Khan Afghani Sultan Mughals take

Bangle under their control and by the help of Islam Khan Chishity the subahdar of Jahangir

bought the whole Bangle under Mughal control except Chittagong.

By all this time there was just increase of the number of Muslim because of the Muslim ruler.

Many spiritual and powerful people whom has deep knowledge in Islam came here in Bangle

and also because of they could mix with the people and the nature and able to appropriated

the flaws and also able to enter in the Bangle culture. At the beginning there were only

Buddhist and Hindus and there was so many division in this each religion like high class low

class e.t.c. But when Muslim ruler enter in Bangle and give Dawah to everyone and the

spiritual person come and talk about Islam openly to everyone people started to attracted to

Islam and started to convert themselves in Muslim and started to build mosque everywhere.

People were very attracted to Islam by the work and by the talk and also by the story of Islam

from the spiritual people. And that’s how those days the conversion of religion was so much

and day by day the increase of Muslim brings minority in other religion like Buddho, Hindu,

Shik and Kristhan. And now Islam is the most popular and Muslim are the largest community

in Bangladesh.

Other religions in Bangladesh

There are some other minor religions in Bangladesh. Some of these religions are basically

sections of Islam. There are not much proof of these religions existing in the ancient Bengal

but can be noticed in present Bangladesh.

22 | P a g e
Bahá’í

While the earliest community individuals are accepted to have settled around the 1920s, the

main neighborhood administering body was set up in 1952 in the wake of Partition, with

others in this manner set up in Chittagong and Mymensingha. Following this, a National

Spiritual Assembly was built up in 1972.

As data on their locale is moderately rare, the specific number of Bangladesh's Bahá'í people

group is obscure, however a few assessments run from somewhat more than 10,000 to more

than 60,000, even upwards of 100,000 or 300,000.

Shi’a

The exact number of the followers of this community is unknown, but they make up a

sizeable amount against the majority Sunni Muslims of this country.

Biharis

The term 'Biharis' alludes to the around 300,000 non-Bengali residents of the previous East

Pakistan who stay stranded in camps in Bangladesh (numerous others have acclimatized into

the Bengali populace). The Bihari minority – Urdu-speaking Muslims, by and large Sunni,

who relocated from Bihar and West Bengal during India's Partition – have for quite some

time been victimized for their apparent collusion with Pakistan during the autonomy war.

Today numerous Biharis additionally live in Pakistan and India. Neither Pakistan nor

Bangladesh consented to give citizenship to the Biharis (likewise called stranded Pakistanis)

which brought about their being viably stateless since Bangladesh's freedom. Until a 2008

Supreme Court deciding that perceived their entitlement to Bangladeshi nationality, many

needed proper citizenship and were consequently stateless. The greater part of these

individuals started from the north Indian province of Bihar.

23 | P a g e
Adivasis

The term Adivasis isn't limited to a specific geological or political limit yet is commonly

utilized in the Indian subcontinent to mean indigenous people groups. Like India, Bangladesh

has its Adivasis, however their extent in the populace is a lot littler: official figures propose

around 1.8 percent, adding up to around 1.6 million – however network delegates express that

the all-out is significantly higher. The Adivasis of Bangladesh, again like those of India,

speak to a general class typifying in any event 27 distinctive indigenous people groups.

Notwithstanding their numerous distinctions, Bangladeshi Adivasis share significant ethnic,

social, strict and etymological differentiations from the greater part Bengalis. Adivasis

possess the outskirt regions of the north-west and north-east Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of

Bangladesh. Both preceding the making of Bangladesh and subsequently, progressive

governments have been hesitant to take a registration of the Adivasi populace based on

language and religion. It is generally accepted that the Bangladesh government has purposely

undercounted the Adivasi populace to underscore its periphery. Lower numbers imply that

their real requests can be all the more effectively expelled or overlooked by governments and

in this way prohibited from help or advancement programs. Undercounting likewise permits

Adivasi land professes to be viewed as progressively shaky and their conventional lifestyles

as insignificant sections of the past instead of as a living society. Practically all Bengalis,

including numerous Adivasis, speak Bangla; and indigenous dialects have absorbed

numerous Bangla words as their own. Adivasis who have been officially taught through the

educational system, generally guys, are bound to speak Bangla than the individuals who are

uneducated, particularly ladies. By religion the CHT occupants are for the most part

Buddhist, while Khasi and Mandi are overwhelmingly Christian. Different indigenous people

groups have held their unique animism or have subsidiary with Hinduism, particularly the

Hajong, while Rajbansi either are Hinduized or have become Sunni Muslims. The most

24 | P a g e
crowded indigenous people groups in Bangladesh are the Santal, Chakma, Marma and

Mandi. Of these the first and last are viewed as fields abiding Adivasis, with the Mandi living

in north-focal Bangladesh and the Santal in the north-west. They have a solid relationship

with the land and there is a profound interrelationship between their strict convictions

(animism) and their social structure. The CHT covers 10 percent of the all-out region of

Bangladesh and is home to twelve or thirteen diverse indigenous people groups of which

Chakma, Marma and Tripura absolute around 90 percent. At times referred to on the whole as

Jumma, as a result of their customary moving – jum – technique for development, these

gatherings have a place with the Tibeto-Burmese language gathering. Chakma represent the

greater part the indigenous populace of the CHT. They and the Marma are Buddhist, while

Tripura are Hindus.

25 | P a g e
 CONCLUSION
The history of Bengal religion starts from Ancient period. In 600AD Buddhism and

Hinduism was the most popular religion in ancient history of Bengal. Among this two

religion Buddhism was more practiced religion and the other religion, which is Muslims,

Christianity, Sikhism was consider as a Minority Religion in Bengal. Although, Sikhism was

existing in some parts of this country but not in every parts of Bengal. But Muslimism and

Christianity didn’t even exist by that time. Moreover, Buddhism and Hinduism were the main

religion of the people live in Bengal. When it was really Ancient period of time which was

like 600AD and it continued till 900AD and 1000AD. As the time passed by the Buddhism

started to reduce its popularity and Hinduism starts to practice more by the time 1000AD or

1100AD. This Hinduism carried till 1500AD, when the Mughal Empire starts rolling. Then,

comes Muslimism. In 1200 AD Muslim roller from Afghan or another Middle East Muslim

roller from began to role. That time people started to acquire Muslimism for getting some

privilege. Along with the time Muslimism starts to become more popular to the people who

used to live in Bengal. Now Islam is the official religion in Bangladesh, and it practiced by

some 88 percent of the country’s people. Currently Muslimism is the most popular religion in

Bangladesh as we all know. When British East India Company come in Bengal and started

rolling, very few chunks of population start practicing Christianity. However, Christianity

was never being the popular religion in Bengal. It always was the minority in our country.

Started from that period Christianity still exists in Bangladesh as Minority religion in our

country. There are some other Tribal people who have some different sort of their local

religion which is also known as the minor religion in Bangladesh.

26 | P a g e