Bangladesh, whose population is over 90 percent Muslim, has nonetheless maintained a secular legal system. In August, the Supreme Court ruled that workplaces and schools cannot force individuals to wear religious clothing [JURIST report] such as veils and skull caps. The court found that wearing religious clothing is an individual choice and cannot be made mandatory, and requiring individuals to wear religious clothing is a human rights violation in contravention of the Bangladeshi Constitution [text]. In July, the Supreme Court overturned a constitutional amendment that had allowed religious parties to participate in politics [JURIST report]. The court, upholding a lower court decision, held that the Fifth Amendment to the Bangladeshi Constitution, which allowed the participation of religious political parties and legitimized military rule, violated the principle of secularism and representative democracy found in the constitution's preamble.