2013 · GS Paper 2 · Q21 · 10 marks
The protests in Shahbag Square in Dhaka in Bangladesh reveal a fundamental split in society between the nationalists and Islamic forces. What is its significance for India ?
In short
The 2013 Shahbag protests and the Islamist backlash they provoked exposed a structural split in Bangladesh between Bengali nationalism and political Islam. For India it matters because a secular Dhaka handed over ULFA leaders and curbed insurgents, gains an Islamist surge would reverse.
Model answer
Ghissu Editorial · Verified 4 Oct 2026 · 288 words
Nationalist assertion
Bloggers and students got Parliament to let the state appeal tribunal verdicts, and Mollah was hanged in December 2013.
Islamist backlash
Sayeedi's death sentence set off riots with attacks on Hindu temples, and Hefazat-e-Islam besieged Dhaka over its 13-point charter in May 2013.
Old fault line
Secularism was dropped under Ziaur Rahman and Islam made state religion in 1988, so the divide is structural.
Security cooperation
A secular Dhaka handed over ULFA leaders such as Arabinda Rajkhowa in 2009, gains an Islamist surge would reverse.
Radicalisation risk
Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, linked to the 2014 Burdwan blast, can exploit the porous 4,096-km border.
Minorities and migration
Attacks on Hindus raise the prospect of migration into West Bengal and Assam.
Diplomatic balance
The land boundary deal took until 2015 and Teesta sharing still hinges on Dhaka's politics, so India must engage every party, especially since a Jamaat-led alliance became the main opposition in 2026.
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Question from the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2013 paper. Answer written by Ghissu's engine and checked against our editorial standards. Found an error? Tell us and we correct it within 48 hours.