The Center for Peace Studies (CPS) of North South University (NSU) celebrated its 4th anniversary at the NSU Campus over the last two days through a book launching ceremony and an impromptu public speaking competition on Tuesday (February 27, 2024), the unveiling of Dr. Abdul Wohab’s thought-provoking book, “Secularism and Islam in Bangladesh: 50 Years After Independence” was held at the Syndicate Hall at NSU. according to a press release.
This event highlighted the anniversary celebrations and aimed to enlighten the community on the distinct interplay between secularism and Islam in Bangladesh’s history. The event fostered engaging discussions and deepened our understanding of these critical themes. Dr. Nazia Manzoor, Assistant Professor in the Department of English and Modern Languages, skillfully moderated the event, ensuring a rich exchange of ideas.
“Secularism has multiple historical forms and in Bangladesh, a syncretistic cultural tradition, which is part of Bangladesh’s history, is being practiced here, which is different from the European understanding of secularism,” said Dr. Abdul Wohab. He said that this book is a narrative of the history of religion and secularism coexisting since Bangladesh’s inception.
Professor S. Sayyid from the University of Leeds, UK recalled his time supervising Dr. Wohab. He said that a good book is one filled with arguments generating lively debate.
Professor Navine Murshid from Colgate University, USA praised Dr. Abdul Wohab’s book. She said that as Islamophobia spreads across the world and different forms of secularism exist, this book is necessary for us. With religion and culture intricately linked, secularism becomes a question of identity rather than ideology.
“Political secularism is the use of secularism with politics to gain popularity. It has become a political business by major political parties,” said Dr. Mohammad Musfeques Salehin, Senior Researcher at the Peace and Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), Norway, and Assistant Professor at The Arctic University of Norway.
