Ancient India had a complex legal system with laws governing various aspects of society such as marriage, inheritance, and trade.

Events in Bangladesh have recently taken a violent turn as the government has been overthrown. Unfortunately, this kind of violence is not uncommon in South Asia's post-independence states, where attacking minorities, particularly Hindus, has become a pillar of nationalism. This is indicative of the unresolved identity crisis that all nations in this region face.

The Constitution of Bangladesh may provide insight into this issue. It begins with the phrase 'Bismillah ir rahman ir rahim' and Article 2A states that Islam is the state religion, but all other religions should have equal status and rights. In 2010, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh issued an order that seemingly restored secularism, but it left the text on the state religion unchanged. This has created a unique situation where the Constitution opens with a Quranic verse, but also pledges to uphold the principles of nationalism, socialism, democracy, and secularism.

Interestingly, Bangladesh has similarities with Dubai, as it also observes weekly holidays on Friday and Saturday and is one of the few nations that works on Sunday. This is a practice that even Pakistan, a predominantly Muslim country, does not follow. Pakistan had integrated religion into its laws at the time of its independence, as it was believed that this would bring a positive impact to the nation. Pakistan's first prime minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, explained that material and scientific development had surpassed the development of the human individual, leading to the dangerous possibility of inventions that could destroy the world. He believed that if people had retained more faith in God, this problem would not have arisen.

However, over time, Pakistan's laws concerning Muslims fell away and were not enforced. For example, punishments for criminal offenses, such as amputation of limbs for theft and stoning for adultery, were introduced but not carried out. Attempts to enforce laws such as zakat (a mandatory charitable contribution) and fasting during Ramadan faced opposition and were ultimately ignored. The last major attempt to Islamize Pakistan was over two decades ago and was ultimately defeated.

On the other hand, India, which was meant to be a secular nation, has been moving towards communalism in recent times. The criminalization of beef possession in BJP states and the tightening of laws that restrict Muslim property rights in Gujarat are just a few examples of this concerning trend. Meanwhile, Pakistan's attempt to become constitutionally communal has not been successful, and one can only hope that Bangladesh, with its new beginning, will move towards the secularism that is the inevitable destiny of all three nations that comprised Old India.

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