Religion

Islam is designated as the "state religion of the Republic" under Article of the Bangladeshi Constitution, which also recognizes freedom of religion and declares Bangladesh to be a secular state. More than 91 percent of people identify as Muslims. Bengali Muslims, the second-largest Muslim ethnoreligious community in the world after the Arabs, make up the majority of the population of Bangladesh. Another minority of Muslims are not Bengali. Muslims in Bangladesh are predominantly Sunni, with minority of Shia and Ahmadiya. Non-religious Muslims make up about 4% of the population. Bangladesh is the third-largest country with a majority of Muslims and has the fourth-largest Muslim population in the world (after Indonesia and Pakistan). In the area, sufism has a rich history.

Orthodox movements and liberal Bengali Islam can collide. The annual Bishwa Ijtema, hosted by the traditional Tablighi Jamaat, is the largest gathering of Muslims in Bangladesh. After the Hajj, the Ijtema is the largest gathering of Muslims anywhere in the world. The Islamic Foundation is an independent government organization in charge of various religious matters under state supervision, such as observing moon sightings in line with the lunar Islamic calendar to determine the dates of festivals and upholding the zakat custom of almsgiving.