“I Am Not Anti-Religion. Religion Is Anti-Me”: Atheism and the Need to Respect Religion in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, many people feel that one has to “respect” religion and religious sentiments. This notion is also shared by many people who are themselves nonreligious and critical of (aspects of) religion. This presentation suggests that sensibilities about who and what practices ought to be respected in this Muslim majority context reflected normative orders and existing power structures that shape which speech acts and practices are considered (in)appropriate. Therefore, this chapter unpacks the notion of “respect,” relates it to hegemonic renderings of secularism in the region, and asks why atheists rarely question such a need to respect “religion.”