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Shafi Md Mostofa

Shafi Md Mostofa

Shafi Md Mostofa, Ph.D., is an associate professor of World Religions and Culture at the University of Dhaka and a post-doctoral research fellow of the Democracy Institute at the Central European University, Hungary.

He is a theologian and security studies scholar with broad interests in political Islam, authoritarianism, modern South Asian history and politics, and international relations and the clash of civilizations. He has published extensively with Routledge, Springer, Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, SAGE, and Wiley and Blackwell; and the journals: Politics and Religion, Politics and Policy, Perspectives on Terrorism, Asian and African Studies, and Peace and Conflict Review. His sole authored book published from Palgrave Macmillan in 2021 on “Islamist Militancy in Bangladesh: A Pyramid Root Cause Model.”

Mostofa did his Ph.D. from the University of New England, Australia in 2020 with IPRA scholarship. He was awarded a Gold Medal by the President of Bangladesh for topping the MA examination in 2012 from the University of Dhaka. He contributes articles on Bangladeshi politics, religion, minority rights, human rights, and secularism.

Posts by Shafi Md Mostofa
July 06, 2025

The Battle Over Electoral Reform in Bangladesh

By Shafi Md Mostofa
Islamists want a proportional representation system under which they could win more seats. The BNP prefers the current first-past-the-post system.

June 26, 2025

Why is Mob Violence So Common in Bangladesh?

By Shafi Md Mostofa
The country has normalized mob culture where force, fear, and informal power often override law and justice.
June 16, 2025

National Elections in April 2026, Says Bangladesh’s Interim Chief Adviser Yunus

By Shafi Md Mostofa
Previously, he had said that elections would be held in June next year.

May 14, 2025

Bangladesh’s Careful Diplomacy in the India-Pakistan Crisis

By Shafi Md Mostofa
The interim government is being carefully neutral, but public opinion has chosen a side.

May 03, 2025

Rebranding Jamaat: The Rise of the ‘Islamist Left’ in Bangladesh

By Shafi Md Mostofa
Jamaat-e-Islami is attempting to reframe itself as an early adopter of the progressive, inclusive spirit of the July Revolution. Will it work?

April 14, 2025

Reimagining the Bangladesh-China Strategic Partnership

By Shafi Md Mostofa and Tamim Muntasir
As Bangladesh redefines its foreign policy, its ability to balance regional and global interests will determine the future trajectory of Bangladesh-China relations in a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape.
April 10, 2025

From Revolution to Reform: The BNP’s Uphill Battle in a New Bangladesh

By Shafi Md Mostofa
Despite its historical popularity, the party is losing ground due to a combination of internal weaknesses, external pressures, and shifting public expectations.

March 11, 2025

The Rise of the National Citizen Party: A New Dawn in Bangladeshi Politics?

By Shafi Md Mostofa
A new political party formed by the students who led the July 2024 uprising represents a bold attempt to redefine Bangladeshi politics.

March 06, 2025

Breaking the Promise? State Violence and Dehumanization in Post-Revolution Bangladesh

By Shafi Md Mostofa and Md Tariqul Islam Tanvir
With “Operation Devil Hunt,” the interim government risks repeating the mistakes of the erstwhile Awami League regime.

February 15, 2025

Terrorism in Bangladesh: Political Manipulation, Ideological Roots, and Western Influence

By Shafi Md Mostofa
Interviews with individuals arrested for terrorism reveal how the issue of terrorism intertwines with West-centric narratives, ideological extremism, and the political strategies of the Awami League.

February 07, 2025

The Bangladesh Awami League: From Dominance to a Legitimacy Crisis

By Shafi Md Mostofa
Rebuilding political legitimacy will be an uphill battle for the Awami League, requiring a reimagining of its organizational structure and a substantive ideological recalibration.
January 08, 2025

Revolution and Rivalry: Can Bangladesh Escape Its Illiberal Past?

By Shafi Md Mostofa
Bangladesh’s entrenched political culture, rooted in decades of illiberal democracy, violence, and bad governance, casts a long shadow.

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