Arguably, there are serious divides among the religion-based parties in Bangladesh. Even an influential section of religion-based political parties openly denounce the Qawami madrasa education and has termed the government decision to recognise the Dawra degree to be suicidal. Besides, it has become sort of an open secret that during the current regime militant organisations with bases in religious institutions crept up and thrived in connivance with a section of the government, resulting in an unprecedented level of militant activities.

The damage that militancy has caused will no doubt take a long time to heal. The deadly impact is being felt not only by the government but also by the general people. I, however, don't mean to say that religious education is unnecessary or that madrasa degrees are to be frowned at. I, rather, echo the universal call for its modernisation instead. But, to recognise the degree of the religious education, about which curriculum the government has no clear idea, choice and control, is not only imprudent but also ridiculous.

From an objective point of view, it is kind of recognising the self-proclaimed quality of an unknown quantity. Political ambition is not a vice, but the Mullahs with high political ambitions are adept at tempting the innocent people with assurances of heaven hereafter. However, the underlying scheme of most of them is nothing other than getting hold of state power. And, use of religion as well as fascination for piety among the common men has turned out to be eminently suitable for them.

Many eminent scientists emerged from religious education in the chequered Islamic history when they were inclined to scientific study of the holy Quran. Once they deviated from scientific study of the same, only clerics have spawned. Islam ordains the Muslims to gather knowledge of the broader world from whatever sources. But, to the Qawami madrasa, even English language is an anathema. Then, how to go ahead in the quest for knowledge and wisdom merely on religious education?

Admittedly, Islamisation of the society gathers steam whenever a military government tries to buy legitimacy as has been experienced in Pakistan and Bangladesh for long. But, this tendency is not less popular with democratic governments in Bangladesh either. And as another dose of Islamisation, PM Khaleda Zia equated the Qawami madrasa's Dawra degree with Masters. She, however, only made the announcement, leaving the responsibility of implementing it on the next government, whichever party may form it, or even on the caretaker government.

What a neatly orchestrated political expediency! Just a hasty declaration with no immediate hazards of execution and so many votes in the bag well in advance! So what of that if the country pays by the nose in the not-too-distant future for this reckless move? After all, nothing is illegitimate in the dirty of game of politics! And, what makes it all the more excruciating is that this "Islamisation" was not done for the purpose of glorifying Islam as a great religion but simply for populism. Interestingly, however, even Awami League did not contradict the decision to obviate anti-AL propaganda.

In 1977, during the regime of General Zia, a martial law proclamation obliterated secular face of the constitution and inserted a phrase that a fundamental state principle is "absolute trust and faith in the Almighty Allah." The phrase "Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim" was inserted before the preamble of the constitution. The change was later legitimised thorough the 5th amendment in 1979.

Another military dictator, General Ershad, in his desperate bid to get cheap popularity, made the 8th amendment to the constitution in 1988, recognising Islam as the state religion. And, all this happened as if Bangladeshis were less Muslims before the fifth and eighth amendments. May I, however, ask what extra benefits Muslims received from those alterations in the constitution? The said amendments to the constitution were just subterfuges of the then military dictators to play on the sentiments of the Muslims.

Though those didn't bring any good to the Muslims, the scar they left on the people of other faiths is difficult to heal. They also created sort of a value conflict in the predominantly secular social setting. Even the Muslims at large believe that those moves were highly fortuitous. However, as happened to the constitutional amendments, future governments -- even secular -- are unlikely to even review this not-well-thought-out Islamisation in fear of orchestrated reactions and, in our country, therein lies the vulnerability of rationality vis-a-vis political expediency.

Kazi SM Khasrul Alam Quddusi is Assistant Professor, Department of Public Administration, University of Chittagong.