Dhaka, March 21 -- In principle, initiatives aimed at promoting reconciliation between religions and sects should be welcomed wherever they appear. But when they are backed by regimes whose involvement is more performative than genuine, they are more likely to breed cynicism than effect meaningful change. Moreover, framing the issue as a "reconciliation between religions and sects" can be misleading. Usually, what is really needed is not reconciliation between religions, but reconciliation between institutions and regimes that seek to define religious meaning for each faith and sect.

Religious belief is a universal phenomenon, though it is expressed through many names. It encompasses all the rituals, rules, and forms of worship through w...