FREE DE SOUL

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

Topic: Bengali secular identity vs. religious fundamentalism. Every April, as the Mangal Shobhajatra procession moves through the streets of Shahbagh filled with giant paper owls, tigers, and suns, a predictable debate reignites. Religious hardliners denounce the Bengali New Year festivities as un-Islamic, while secular citizens celebrate it as the heartbeat of our non-sectarian identity. This yearly tension highlights a core cultural struggle in Bangladesh. For atheists and

Topic: Humanism during natural disasters and everyday life. When the monsoon floods drown the coastal districts of Sunamganj or Satkhira, disaster response doesn't require divine command. Volunteers believers and non-believers alike wade through chest-deep water to haul clean water and dry food to stranded families. Yet, a common refrain thrown at atheists in Bangladesh is: "If you don't believe in God, what keeps you from doing bad things?" The answer is simple: empathy. We