University Of Dhaka Alumni

"The birth of Bangladesh has raised fundamental questions about the concept of nationhood in South Asian subcontinent. The emergence of Bangladesh reveals that South Asia does not contain one or two nations but many nations. Bangladesh may not, therefore, be the last hidden nation to surface in this subcontinent. The relationship between the "parts" and "whole" in South Asia may not be a settled issue, their respective roles may have to be renegotiated in the future."

"Though General Ershad was looked [upon] as usurper, and his regime was termed as undemocratic and autocratic by both Khaleda Zia led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Shiekh Hasina led Awami League, yet none of these parties even after assuming power [...] would be able to retrench the Islamisation measures taken by Ershad"... The Constitution of Bangladesh, despite Awami League [...] remains an Islamic one."

"Between 1982 and 1990, Ershad made systematic efforts to continue the policy of Zia, rehabilitating anti liberation elements and the parallel Islamisation culminating in the disputable Eighth amendment to the Constitution declaring 'Islam' as a state religion. Earlier short-lived government of Mustaque Ahmed (August 1975 - November 1975) brought to power at a behest of young military officers, declared Peoples Republic of Bangladesh as 'Islamic Republic of Bangladesh' over the state radio, which, however, fetched recognition of Saudi Arabia, Libya and China."