A brewing shift toward religious conservatism has emerged from the political vacuum in this country of 175 million people.

The century-old Kharshuti Shiva Temple, a sandstone temple located in Kharshuti village under Faridpur’s Boalmari upazila, is on the verge of ruin due to years of neglect and lack of maintenance.

The 34-year-old, who made his Bangladesh debut 12 years ago after moving from Denmark, feels Hamza will experience the same emotions. He also believes Hamza’s decision to represent Bangladesh will ...