Bangladesh’s two begums must end their personal battle and combat Islamist violence

By Manoj Joshi

 

The Islamic State-inspired attack in an upmarket eatery in Dhaka that has taken the lives of 20 hostages, two policemen, and six terrorists, should be a watershed in the fight against Islamist radicalism in Bangladesh.

But whether or not it is depends vitally on the dynamics of domestic politics, where the increasingly authoritarian Awami League government of Sheikh Hasina is locked in a no-quarter-given battle against her rival Bangladesh National Party President Khaleda Zia.

Islamism

India and the international community need to make it absolutely clear to the two Begums that their battle, which has allowed Islamism to flourish in their country, is now providing space for the Islamic State and the Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) to spread their roots and become an existential threat to Bangladesh.

Sheikh Hasina is locked in a no-quarter-given battle against her rival Bangladesh National Party President, Khaleda Zia Khaleda Zia must join with Hasina to combat the spread of Islamist terror in Bangladesh

Concerted international pressure needs to be put on Sheikh Hasina (left) and Khaleda Zia to get their act together, before ISIS spreads its roots in Bangladesh

India, and indeed the world, cannot afford to sit by idly while this happens.

Given Bangladesh’s location, happenings there have a vital bearing on our security, and we need to confront this emerging challenge with determination, sophistication and a cool head.

Islamism is not a new factor in Bangladesh. It has deep roots going back to the years that led to the partition of the country in the 1930s. As such, Islamist groups like the Jamaat-e-Islami, the Islami Okiya Jote, Khelafat Majlis, and a clutch of other organisations have been active for years, but their context has been largely local, even though some have advocated a global Islamic Caliphate.

There is, of course, another sinister element, Pakistan’s ISI, which has funded and used several of these groups to launch attacks against India.

Pakistani proxies like the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba are active in Bangladesh, again with a view of using it as a springboard to attack India. Even violent outfits like Harkat-ul Jihad Islami and Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) have functioned in a local context. These groups have been involved in attacks on writers, poets, bloggers and free thinkers since the attack on Shamshur Rehman in 1999.

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Indian family members place floral tributes near the site of the Dhaka terrorist attack, in homage to the victims of the slaughter that left 20 dead and many more injured

In 2016 we have seen an increase in such assaults in the killings of Nazimuddin Samad, Rezaul Siddique, and Xulhaz Mannan, as well as in the targeting of Hindu temples and priests.

However, and importantly, the context has changed in recent years with international Islamist groups like Al Qaeda, Hizb ut-Tahrir, and now the Islamic State, which earlier found South Asia a difficult prospect, establishing a foothold in the country.

The recruitment efforts of both AQIS and the Islamic State have benefited from poaching from local jihadi outfits. But most importantly, they have gained from the inability of the government to effectively deal with the jihadists.

In many instances, the people attacked by them have been thrown into jail and charged with blasphemy.

Mainstream 

Perhaps the most difficult task confronting India and the international community is to persuade the mainstream political forces to moderate their competition to prevent radical forces from gaining ground.

Source: Daily Mail