Bangladesh’s rightward shift leaves pluralism stranded

(Ragib Anjum – East Asia Forum) Bangladesh’s April 2026 dispute over the renaming of the Bengali New Year procession illustrates a broader narrowing of the country’s political spectrum, as the ruling BNP shifts toward accommodating conservative religious expectations in the absence of a credible secular or progressive counterweight. With Jamaat-e-Islami growing as an opposition force and Hindutva politics intensifying across the border in West Bengal, minorities on both sides face mounting vulnerability as majoritarian projects gain ground across South Asia. –  Bangladesh’s rightward shift leaves pluralism stranded | East Asia Forum