Shia Muslims are a large minority in Bangladesh, with roughly 2% of the population being Shia. Many Bangladeshi Shi'a Muslims, belong to the Bihari community. Even though there are only small numbers of Shi'as, the observance commemorating the martyrdom of Ali's sons, Hasan and Husayn, are still widely observed by the nation's Sunni community; highlighting the historical influence that the Shi'ites had in Bengal.