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Pluralism and the Rise of Bangladesh

The concept of Pluralism is as old as the story of Bengal itself. The great emperor, Ashoka once

reigned over the region, heralding what was one of Historys first proclamations of the pluralistideal when he had inscribed on stone pillars throughout his vast empire the enlightened message

The faiths of all others ought to be honored for one reason or another. By honoring them, one

honors ones own faith and at the same time performs service to the faiths of others.

Throughout the history of Bengal, this enlightened message spoke to the highly progressive andfle!ible character of the region. Though as a state, Bangladesh is very young and emergent, as a

nation and civili"ation, the history of Bengal stretches back for thousands of years, and tells a

story of intellectual sophistication, political maturity, and economic prowess. #t is a rich and

colorful history with a uni$ue lesson of cultural, and religious inter%mingling, cooperation, and

harmony. #t was this early pluralistic tradition and internationalist outlook that gave Bengal itsdistinct character and early reputation as a global center of intellectual and economic

opportunity.

Openness to plurality translated to competitiveness in trade and commerce

resulting in economic prowess and international prestige of Bengal

Bengal the was land which great &reek and 'oman historians such as Ptolemy noted for itspowerful kingdoms, $uality merchandise, and prosperous ports( ancient )inoan and *gyptianartifacts have been found in its ancient cities( it saw the completion of the +omapura

)ahavihara, a towering monastery that remains one of the largest in the world, once drawing in

scholars from across Asia to learn of its high arts( dispatched one of its most learned Buddhistscholars, Atisha ipankara to help re%invigorate the practice of Buddhism in Tibet( lured in the

famed -thcentury traveler from the )aghreb, #bn Battuta to seek the blessings of a famed +ufi

saint from /emen, +hah 0alal of +ylhet( attracted the attention of Admiral 1heng Hes Treasure2leet of the )ing ynasty( served as the most pri"ed province of the )ughal and British

*mpires. The story of Bengal is intimately connected to the story of history itself( and these are

3ust a few snapshots of Bengal through the ages.

#ndeed it was Bengals uni$ue geographic location that allowed it to become a contact%point ofanti$uity. 4ith the Himalayas, &obi essert, and +iberia stacked to the north, Bengal was a

natural land bridge of connectivity between early migrations from the west to east. 5oupled with

the many rivers of the Himalayas that flow through +outh Asia into Bengal, the region became afertile delta of culture and people of diverse backgrounds and ethnicities. The call to prayer

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offered by Hindus, Buddhists, )uslims, +ikhs, and 5hristians still heard across the nation, along

with the myriad of comple!ions and facial features of Bengal are testament to this early

harmoni"ation of ancient peoples.

And this openness to plurality by the great dynasties of Bengal, be it the )uarya, &upta, Pala, or

the medieval #slamic +ultans and )ughals6to name a few6translated in an early

competitiveness in trade and commerce, resulting in economic prowess and internationalprestige. Today, the Bay of Bengal takes on special relevance with the #ndian 7cean serving as

the worlds busiest hub of international trade. The 8.+. 9avy has taken notice and advised in

:;;< that to downsi"e its presence in the Atlantic and seek a greater =sustained> and forwardpresence> in the #ndian 7cean. The very ne!t year, the 8.+. )arine 5orps unveiled its ?ision and

+trategy until :;:@, which "eroed in on the #ndian 7cean as the ne!t center of global

competition. 5hina, too, has centered its foreign policy on its =+tring of Pearls> approach that

has seen the development of trade infrastructure and special economic relations with nations

along the +outh 5hina sea, across the #ndian 7cean, and into the Persian &ulf. 2ully appreciatingthe future influence presented by this region, member of the Pentagons efense Policy Board,

avid aplan wrote, =The #ndian 7cean will be where global power dynamics will be revealed.Together with the contiguous 9ear *ast and 5entral Asia, it constitutes the new &reat &ame in

geopolitics.> He concluded his assessment with the poignant observation, =And so this ocean is

once again at the heart of the world, 3ust as it was in anti$ue and medieval times.>

But to tap into this bright future, Bangladesh first needs overcome its social and political

challenges, and reali"e the social and economic potential that surrounds it.

#n recent years, Bangladeshs presence in the international headlines has been marred by

depressing images of poverty( political instability and corruption( and religious fundamentalism.The dream of a pluralistic society as envisioned by the original framers of the 5onstitution has

been tested in the last few decades through marshal law regimes that brought on 5onstitutional

changes that led to the establishment of a state religion and the erosion of pluralist values.#ncidences of pre3udice and violence against religious and ethnic minorities, and slow movement

on fostering broader and deeper regional ties have further hampered Bangladeshs social and

economic prospects. emocratic norms and institutions have suffered as a result of inefficiencies

and lack of transparency, while partisan politics has contributed to a lack of policy continuationand stable vision to help Bangladesh meet its social and economic opportunities presented by

emerging world realities.

Through proper articulation of a forward%looking vision, Bangladesh can once again reclaim theprestige of its pluralist past. This vision must be one that is based on new regional and global

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dynamics( and in order to best harness the collective spirit and imagination necessary to bring

these ideas to fruition, the vision must be both inspiring and meaningfulin scope and application.

The goal of this pro3ect thus becomes to demonstrate that through a greater acceptance andmeaningful application of pluralistic norms and values, Bangladesh can once again live up to its

historic legacy of communal harmony, strengthen the democratic character of the state,

contribute towards inter%communal cohesion and national security, and set a tra3ectory for greaterregional social and economic integration. This is not an unrealistic feat6the ancient legacy of

Bengal is one of plurality and prosperity( and there is no reason to believe that the future of

Bangladesh wont hold the same promise.

2ortunately there is a historical precedence for this vision of a more open, inclusive, and globally

engaged Bangladesh( and the foundation of that precedent was a pluralistic Bengal, open to the

influences of others, yet strong enough in its own syncretic identity to maintain its sense of

nationhood and distinctiveness.

The historical remnants of this past glory remain scattered throughout the terrain of modern

Bangladesh( they e!ist as crumbling monuments, and endure in the language, art, and culture as

unifying symbols of the nation( traces of this rich and diverse history are etched upon the facialfeatures of its citi"enry. This history cannot be ignored, and by piecing these elements together, it

is possible to imagine a greater role for Bangladesh in this new globali"ed era where integration

and cooperation serve as the principle forces behind the rise of Asia, and the future social andeconomic order of the world.

The ancient legacy of Bengal is one of plurality and prosperity, and there is no

reason to believe that the future of Bangladesh wont hold the same promise.