FREE DE SOUL

Topic: The unique isolation of non-believers outside major urban hubs. Much of the discourse around secularism in Bangladesh centers on Dhaka's university campuses. But what about the non-believer in a small mofussil town in Bogra, Comilla, or Barisal? In smaller communities, social surveillance is intense. Everyone knows your family, which tea stall you frequent, and whether you were seen at the local mosque for Friday prayers. Questioning religious customs in these settings

Topic: Literature, free expression, and self-censorship at the national book fair. The Ekushey Boi Mela at Bangla Academy is the cultural highlight of the year. For a month, thousands gather among stacks of new publications, poetry books, and essays. It feels like a celebration of the intellect. Yet, for freethinking writers and publishers, a shadow hangs over the stalls. Publishers carefully scan manuscripts, removing paragraphs that might provoke extremist backlashes or pol

Topic: Critiquing the political compromises of the state. The 1972 Constitution of Bangladesh proudly enshrined "Secularism" as one of its founding state principles. It was a noble vision forged in the fires of the Liberation War a nation defined by language and culture rather than religion. However, political opportunism over the decades chipped away at that foundation. Today, we live in a state that claims secularism in its preamble while maintaining a state religion and