This paper critically reconsiders the existing dichotomy between ‘secularism’ and ‘Islamism’ by exploring the shifting relationship between religion and public life in rural Bangladesh. First, it introduces a five-fold typology of Islamic movements in South Asia, categorized by their historical development and social support bases. Second, it examines the positioning of religious subjects in public education, comparing Bangladesh’s model of dharmanirapekshata (religious neutrality) with the Western concepts of secularism. Third, the study analyzes the conflict between Qawmi madrasas and secular NGOs in the 1990s, particularly in Brahmanbaria District as a pivotal case where contestations over ‘secularism’ became visible. In this context, NGOs promoted the separation of religion from the public sphere, while madrasas sought to uphold Islamic values, leading to escalating ideological tensions that culminated in open conflict. Building upon these frameworks, the paper investigates a village society in Chittagong District, tracing social changes over the five decades since the 1960s. The findings reveal that while villagers continue to revere the ulama of the madrasas, they now engage with religious norms more selectively and reflectively, influenced by shifts in educational standards, economic life, and access to information. Ultimately, this study examines how to transcend the schematic opposition between ‘Islamism’, which denies secular practices, and ‘secularism’, which denies religious practices, in order to construct a framework of religious pluralism that accommodates a range of options and values, enabling coexistence among people with differing orientations.