Paper short abstract:

This paper engages with young Bengali Muslims and explores the possibilities of reforming Bangladesh, including the constitutional status of indigenous minorities and the demilitarisation of borderlands.

Paper long abstract:

Amidst the heterogeneity and complex realities, the formation of the Bangladesh nation-state in 1971 marked its declaration as the exclusive territory of Bengali Muslims, disregarding the presence of highlanders in the borderlands. Most importantly, the “tribalist mindset” (van Schendel 1992:103), played a significant role in categorising and governing the populace. As a result, the highlanders faced extreme forms of exclusion and violence that severely threatened their lives and livelihoods. Although the highlanders engaged in various forms of resistance—including a 20-year-long armed struggle for indigenous autonomy—the political situation remains far from favorable.

In this paper, I aim to engage with young Bengali Muslims, who recently ousted a 15-year-long one-party democratic regime, and explore the possibilities of reforming Bangladesh. This includes addressing the constitutional status of cultural and political identities beyond Bengali Muslims and advocating for the demilitarisation of borderlands. While actively observing these political upheavals as a "native anthropologist" living in Bangladesh, I find myself without a definitive theoretical framework but feel these young people embody both fear and bravery as they contemplate radically transforming identity politics and democratising their world.