Unless the issue of growing terror by Islamists is addressed jointly by India and Bangladesh in a professional and whole-hearted manner, the festering wounds will continue to cause immense pain. Any further delay in surgery will be suicidal
An Islamic State-sponsored terror struck capital Dhaka in Bangladesh on March 17, when a suicide bomber detonated himself near a checkpoint close to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) headquarters. The RAB is the principal task force comprising hand-picked officers from the Armed Forces, proficient in dealing with counter-terror and extraordinary security contingencies threatening Bangladesh. Coincidentally, earlier, on March 16, another IS suspect blew himself to smithereens, again near a RAB barrier near Dhaka’s Ashokana area. The IS immediately claimed responsibility for this act of terror .
What is disturbing is the audacity and desperation on the part of the Islamic extremists, ostensibly inspired by the IS, to strike in such close proximity of the RAB. It’s an open defiance, displaying scant regard for this elite force and also indicative on the part of the extremists of the desperation to hit at crucial locations to draw maximum local and international publicity.
Bangladesh has officially been in a denial mode over the IS’s complicity in any of the terror acts. It has consistently maintained that these strikes have been conducted by home-grown terrorists who are at play. Conceded, but the terrorist forces, in different nomenclature, are alive and kicking and are hitting out at regular intervals. It’s time for Bangladesh’s intelligence agencies to introspect and assess the threat beginning from July 1, 2016, when in Dhaka, at a renowned cafe, people (including an Indian) were taken hostages and killed. On July 7, an Eid congregation was attacked. Since then, there have been similar attacks at regular intervals, setting a pattern of continuing terror. Those involved in these heinous and dastardly incidents were educated in the most sophisticated educational institutions and were sufficiently radicalised through their patrons operating with the IS cadres in Syria . We can, therefore, safely assume that there is a good number of Bangladeshis in action in the IS misadventures in Syria, and possibly in Iraq .
Despite Bangladesh’s security killing terrorists and sporadically arresting others, terror continues, and the country looks to be dangerously fraught with terrorism-related perils in the near future, more so when it is about to observe the ‘Genocide Day’ and hold Independence Day celebrations in the current month. The existing trend of terror in Bangladesh seems like symptoms of a disease that should lead to prognosis and subsequent treatment.
Against this backdrop, Bangladesh needs good medical treatment. And if this is done half-heartedly, it will not cure the malady. On the contrary, the disease may manifest in some other form. It now requires a perfect diagnosis — that too urgently — followed by precise surgery to preempt the recurrence of the disease.
The major forces engaged in unsettling Bangladesh and fomenting terror are more than identified. They are Jamaat-ul-Mujahdeen Bangladesh (JMB), Harkatul Jehad, Hefazat-e-Islam, elements from the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and their affiliates with links to Saudi Arabia and a few other Gulf countries, who believe in Islamising Bangladesh through terror.
In the same vein, we should not forget the role of the Pakistani High Commission in Dhaka. Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence’s (ISI) undercover operatives are known for their subversive activities in Bangladesh, with a two pronged agenda. First, to foment terror combined with fanning communal tension between Hindu minorities and Muslims; and two, to weaken Bangladesh-India ties.
A number of Pakistani diplomatic mission staff had been declared persona non grata in the not so distant past for allegedly engaging in nefarious activities. Their agenda is likely to be more intensified in March/April because of the Independence Day festivities and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s upcoming visit to India. In sum, India and Indo-Bangla interests are very much the target of these dangerous elements.
Significantly, these outfits in Bangladesh appear to be asserting themselves to push their Islamic agenda linked with terror. Hefazat-e-Islam merits a close watch. It has grown in massive proportion since its inception in 2013. Originating from port city of Chittagong, it has made its presence felt by raising Islamic issues and abetting terror in vulnerable areas.
The statue of a Greek goddess in front of the Dhaka Supreme Court was exploited to the hilt as Hefazat-e-Islam raised the demand for removal of the structure, calling it anti-Islamic. Such activities continue, much like the Taliban destroying Buddhist statues in Bamian, Afghanistan. Again, Harkatul Jihad, active since 1984, was responsible for Pune’s German bakery terror act of 2010 and earlier in the Varanasi infamous attack of 2006. These are just a handful of illustrations to prove their result-oriented complicity .
Bangladesh-watchers would expect Prime Minister Hasina, during her forthcoming visit, to seek India’s active help in addressing cases of terror in the former’s backyard. And in all likelihood, India will respond favourably through visible action for a collaboration to contain the ugly menace. Indian representatives from the Intelligence Bureau, Research & Analysis Wing etc must camp in Bangladesh for a considerable period, offering all assistance. Unless the issue is addressed in a professional and whole-hearted manner, the festering wounds of terror will continue to cause immense pain. Any delay in surgery will be suicidal.
(The writer is a retired IPS officer, security analyst and Bangladesh-watcher for many years. He is Senior Fellow at India Police Foundation. Views expressed here are personal)