Bangladesh was never Islamic to begin with, actually we are more religious now than we ever were....
The Bengali culture is innately agnostic and many of our celebrated festivals are outright against what Muslims from elsewhere would consider the norms of Islam.
As time passes our society is again drifting towards agnosticism but there is now a small but strong group of religious hardliners.
Take note however, that our hardliners are Barbie dolls when compared to hardliners from elsewhere, as in they don't blow up or slaughter people left and right.
Secularism prevails in Bangladesh because of the bengali culture, in India only the upper class are actually secular, as is being exposed now, under Congress, they merely stepped on everyone's throat who said otherwise, so we never heard the horror stories about religious disharmony in India back then.
I will get flack for saying this but I believe secularism is the right state choice for Bangladesh, when Sheikh Mujeeb instated it in 70s everyone got along under the military leaders changed it decades later, until Hasina enforced it again in 2009.
That gap in between, is where the hardliners birthed a whole new generation whose thought processes belong to the 14 century.
But over time, we are dealing with them, Bangladesh is on the right path, we have tackled the little bits and pieces of violent extremism.
Now onto reform and relegating Madrasas to religious teachings only.
