Influence of Religion on Political Participation among Public University Students in Bangladesh

Abstract

Religion being a momentous fragment of individuals' life has direct and indirect impact on individuals' ideology and thus influences their activities. A considerable amount of study has been conducted across the world in different environment to explore the relationship between religion and political participation. The main purpose of the study is to investigate the influence of religion on political participation among the students of public university in Bangladesh. The theoretical framework has been borrowed from Emile Durkheim's functionalism theory, Herbert Blumer's theory of symbolic interactionism, Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno's critical theory and Anthony Downs's rational choice theory to examine the connection between religion and political participation. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of research have been used to conduct the study more precisely. For this purpose, the researcher was very thoughtful about sampling and conducted the research based on primary data to understand the impact of religion on political participation on individual-level. Several types of political behaviors of participants have examined in the study including supporting secular constitution, choosing secular political party, influence of religion on political participation, desirable quality of a leader, voting, participating protests, joining in boycotts, singing petitions, taking part in unofficial strikes and hartal etc. The study found that religion has impact on political participation but this association works both in positive and negative manner. Both religious and non-religious factors play a significant role in shaping individual's political philosophy.