Islam in Bangladesh
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| approx. 150 million (2016 estimate) | |
| Religions | |
| Sunni, Shia, Ahmadiyya, | |
| Languages | |
| Main Languages spoken are Bengali and Urdu (by the Bihari Muslim community) |
Islam is the largest religion of Bangladesh, the Muslim population is approximately 150.0 million, which is the fourth largest Muslim population in the world (after Indonesia, Pakistan, and India), constituting 92% of the total population as of 2016 . Religion has always been a strong part of identity, but this has varied at different times. A survey in late 2003 confirmed that religion is the first choice by a citizen for self-identification. The constitution makes Bangladesh a secular state and guarantees freedom of religion, however the United Nations has recognised the country as moderate Muslim democratic country.
Islam was introduced to Bengal in at least 8th century and later became main religion, coming from mainly by the arrivals of Arab and Persian missionaries and merchants,
Syed Shah Nasir Al-Deen (or Shah Nasir Uddin) was originally from Iraq but came to Bangladesh to spread Islam. Early Arab Muslims however established commercial as well as religious contacts within the region before the conquest, mainly through the coastal regions as traders and primarily via the ports of Chittagong. Arab navigation in the region was the result of the Muslim reign over the Indus delta. The activities of the Muslims were expanded along the entire coast of South Asia including the coasts of Bengal. The religion of Islam entered the region in many different ways, the Muslim traders, the Turkish conquest and, the missionary activities of the Muslim Sufis. One of the authentications of the Arab traders present in the region was the writings of Arab geographers, found on the Meghna River located near Sandwip on the Bay of Bengal. This evidence suggests that the Arab traders had arrived along the Bengal coast long before the Turkish conquest. The Arab writers also knew about the kingdoms of Samrup and Ruhmi, the latter being identified with the empire of Dharmapal of the Pala Empire.
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