OP-ED: As Bangladesh turns 50, its ongoing battle for secularism deserves greater attention -- and praise

The idea of secularism in Bangladesh was always inextricably tied with the principle of tolerance -- and aptly measured by its absence
Bangladesh won a bloody War for Independence 50 years ago -- but the war for its heart has never really ended. The Bangladesh Story has been told mainly in development terms, but it is simply not complete without a proper accounting of the intense battles over its identity.

Originally created during Partition in 1947 as the eastern half of Pakistan, the Bengalis realized their second-class status within the new formation almost right away and began to carve out their own path. In the evolving struggle for their rights, language and culture became the central source of inspiration. As did the idea of secularism -- and the aspiration to build a society on the principles of non-discrimination.

The ideals animating Bengali nationalism that culminated in the Liberation War of 1971 led to the creation of a new country -- Bangladesh -- which embraced secularism as one of its four founding pillars.