The High Court (HC) has rejected outright a petition challenging the constitutional acknowledgement of Islam as the state religion despite the "secular" state policy.
A High Court Division Bench comprising Justice M Emdadul Haque and Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar passed the order on Monday, reports BSS.
Supreme Court lawyer Samendra Nath Goswami filed the petition seeking a rule asking the government why the constitutional acknowledgement of Islam as the "state religion" and "secularism" as the state policy should not be declared "conflicting".
Goswami himself moved the petition while Additional Attorney General Murad Reza and Deputy Attorney General Khorshedul Alam stood on behalf of the state.
The law secretary to the government was made respondent in the writ.
The provision of the state religion was made under a constitutional amendment during former president HM Ershad's regime.
However, Bangladesh's original constitution in 1972 declared "secularism" as one of the state principles as it was framed in 1972.
