Secularism (Bengali: ধর্ম নিরপেক্ষতা) is one of the four fundamental principles according to the original 1972 Constitution of Bangladesh. The secularism principle was removed from the Constitution in 1977 by Ziaur Rahman, replaced by a statement of "absolute trust and faith in Almighty Allah", and Islam was declared the state religion in 1988. In 2010, the Bangladesh Supreme Court restored secularism as one of the basic tenets of the Constitution but Islam remained the state religion. Over 90% of Bangladeshis are Muslims, the rest being Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and others. People in Bangladesh observe various secular festivals at different times throughout the year. The ethos of secularism in South Asia is in many ways different from that of Western versions that assert complete sep