Ethnicity and Human Security in Bangladesh and Pakistan

Positioned at the intersection of ethnicity studies and the human security paradigm, this book investigates how identity-based politics in Bangladesh and Pakistan shapes the safety, dignity and opportunities of citizens. It pushes beyond state-centric security by centering individuals and communities, asking how institutional arrangements—citizenship regimes, local government, policing, courts, education—mediate everyday risks for minorities. Drawing on legislative histories, case law, media records and field interviews, the authors map patterns of discrimination and resilience among linguistic, religious and indigenous groups. They trace the genealogy of conflicts, from colonial legacies and partition to contemporary electoral manipulation, and explore how development planning, land use decisions and security operations interact with identity claims. Comparative chapters illuminate both shared challenges—under-enforcement of rights, bias in service delivery, weak grievance redress—and context-specific dynamics driven by federal structures and provincial politics. The book offers policy tools that reconcile unity with diversity: inclusive service standards, targeted social protection, credible investigations of violence, and trust-building through language and culture recognition. By anchoring analysis in the human security framework, the authors show that reducing fear and want for minorities is not a concession but a precondition for cohesive, prosperous states.