Terrorism and counter-terrorism in Bangladesh

Bangladesh emerged as a sovereign nation in 1971 after a bloody and fierce war against Pakistan. The war was short, only nine months long, but it took a heavy toll on the newborn nation's lives, economy and infrastructure. Frustrated and unsatisfied by the dismal economic and political situation, many soon pointed their fingers at the government for its alleged corruption, incompetency and nepotism. At that point, Bangladesh first experienced a bout of leftist terrorism against the government. After almost three decades, the country started to confront the rise of Islamic militancy in the late 1990s. In the international media, it was feared that Bangladesh was on its way to becoming a 'cocoon of terror' (Lintner, 2002, p.14) or a 'sanctuary for al-Qaeda and Taliban fugitives' (Islam, 2002). A series of bomb blasts and suicide attacks in 2005 reinforced these apprehensions. Although the then ruling party was initially reluctant and denied the presence of militants, tremendous internal and external pressure compelled the government to start a crackdown on the militants. With unusual speed, the government conducted arrests, rapid trial and execution of the top leaders of the militant outfits. After nearly a decade of that crackdown, Islam is still a salient factor in Bangladeshi political discourse with its complex and multi-faceted variations and interpretations. The bitter and violent relationships between major political parties and their 'zero-sum' mentality to acquire or retain political power may create a favorable ground for the growth of radicalism. However, militancy in Bangladesh, be it leftist or Islamist, has been confined only in small pockets of a number of regions, propagated by a handful of splinter groups, and has not yet been successful in gaining considerable traction. Left-wing terrorism: from revolution to extortion Soon after the War of Liberation in 1971, extreme leftist political ideology began to appear in Bangladesh. Even during the Liberation War, there was a strong presence of leftist Naxalite groups in southwestern districts of the country. In mainstream politics, the Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) broke from the ruling Awami League and declared its radical views (Datta, 2005, p.427). Also, outside the realm of mainstream politics, some radical factions of the leftist parties called for 'an armed struggle' against the state (Maniruzzaman, 1973, p.223).