[Dhaka Tribune] Secularism as a modern concept is aligned with the concepts of equality, freedom, and democracy. Secularism anywhere in the world works is the antidote to communalism, which is required to check the growth of religious fundamentalism and inter-religious conflicts. The function of secularism is also to eradicate the persecution of religious minorities, promote cultural pluralism, religious freedom, and establish social harmony.
Broadly, there are two types of secularism -- political or assertive secularism which promotes equality and freedom for the religious, and non-religious and contextual, or passive secularism in which government policies are acceptable if their purpose is to eradicate social injustices attributable to religious practices.