Mob Rule As Political Strategy: Reshaping Bangladesh's Secular Memory And Pluralistic Bengali Culture
“Mob Rule As Political Strategy: Reshaping Bangladesh's Secular Memory And Pluralistic Bengali Culture” by Dr. ASM Mostafizur Rahman in South Asia Monitor, 03. February 2026.
The ideals of 1971 represent inclusivity, human dignity, and resistance to oppression. Baul and Sufi traditions reject radical views and promote humanism and coexistence. Islam in Bengal arrived largely through Sufis—from Persia, Arabia, and Central Asia—who emphasized spirituality, tolerance, and accommodation. These traditions resonated with local Hindu practices and gave rise to syncretic forms such as Baul philosophy. Rabindranath Tagore and Nazrul Islam embodied this civilizational synthesis.
About the Author:
Dr. A.S.M. Mostafizur Rahman is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Political Science and an associated researcher at the South Asia Institute of Heidelberg University. He earned his PhD in political science from the Institute of Political Science (IPW) within the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences at Heidelberg University, graduating Magna Cum Laude (great distinction) with his dissertation, entitled “Globalization and Transformation: State, Ideas, and Economic Policy in Bangladesh”. He has an MA in International Relations (Peace and Conflict Studies) at the European Peace University, Austria, with an 'excellent' distinction and studied economics, sociology, and literature in his BA in Bangladesh. He is an associated member of the South Asia Institute, a member of the Heidelberg Postdoctoral Network, the European Association for South Asian Studies (EASAS), the International Peace Research Association (IPRA), the Bangladesh Studies Network in Europe, and Heidelberg Alumni International.