Beyond the banality of labels: Examining the narratives and realities of communal violence in Bangladesh

This study examines Hindu-Muslim conflict, or communalism, within the context of secular Bengali nationalist discourse. Prevailing narratives often depict this conflict as spontaneous anti-Hindu aggression by "communal" and "intolerant" Muslims, driven by religious zeal and majoritarian nationalism. This study challenges such frameworks by analyzing inter-communal unrest in conjunction with national and regional politics, moving beyond simplistic majority-minority and religious lenses. Engaging critically with South Asian literature on communalism, the study reveals that the portrayal of Muslims as inherently communal is shaped by interdiscursive practices rooted in Hindu Orientalism and colonial discourse. It argues that hegemonic Bengali nationalism, which marginalizes Muslim subjectivity, coupled with India's influence as a Hindu nation-state in Bangladeshi statecraft, renders the discourse of majoritarian Muslim violence inadequate. Viewing communalism as a dynamic process, the study examines communal conflict in terms of power politics, the roles of the state and media, and socio-legal consequences. Ethnographic fieldwork in Nanua Dighir Par, the epicenter of the 2021 communal violence, uncovers a systematic pattern of violence orchestrated by ruling party leaders for political gain. This includes the politics of narrativization, blame displacement, and subsequent criminalization, highlighting the state's failure to prevent violence and its role in the persecution of Islamists, political opponents, and ordinary Muslims. By analyzing media and academic discourse, the study establishes a periodization of Hindu-Muslim conflict, challenging the narrative that intensified conflict is solely linked to Islamic politics and the state religion. It posits that communal tensions in Bangladesh align with socio-political developments in India, including anti-Muslim violence. The study also underscores a surge in anti-Hindu violence under the pro-minority Awami League regime, suggesting that recent anti-Hindutva sentiment in Bangladesh is exacerbated by Muslim alienation, India's political interference, and the state's secular policies and pro-Indian stance.