The siege of the Holey Artisan Café by a group of young Jihadis on
July 1 evening was something waiting to happen. Twenty guests dining in
this up-market restaurant in Dhaka’s diplomatic area were killed by
these terrorists. Most of them were foreigners. Two police officers
also lost their lives. The terrorists were killed in a mixed forces
commando raid later.
It was the last Friday before Eid, considered very holy. Ramadan, a
period of fasting for Muslims is supposed to be a period of peace and
prayers. In a manner, the terrorists who believed they were killing
infidels to save Islam had themselves desecrated the very same
religion. It may be noted that in the last two weeks more than three
hundred people in different countries have been killed either by the
Islamic State (IS) or sympathisers of IS.
The profile of these radical Islamic groups is changing very quickly
to suit the needs of the technical world. As terrorism goes global, the
old madrassa indoctrinated Jehadis are giving way to well-educated tech
savvy recruits. This does not mean that the Madrassa influenced
products have become redundant. They are foot soldiers to be utilised
on the streets to counter opponents and institutions, and storm the
bastion. From the strategic ideology of global Jehadis like the IS,
Bangladesh, India and some other secular countries have not reached this
stage yet. Formation of a Caliphate army in Bangladesh to penetrate
India and the rest of South Asia will come later, unless checked.
The profiles of some of the killers at the Holey Artisan Café support
the above. Nirbas Islam (22) studied in the well reputed Turkish Hope
School in Dhaka. He also studied in Monash University, an
Australian-Malaysian education enterprise in Malaysia. He was quiet and
religious, his friends say. He went missing in January, without
informing his family.
Rohas Imtiaz went to the high profile Scholastica School in Dhaka,
and then to Monash University. He became untraceable after returning to
Dhaka.
Mir Soameh Mubasser was also a student of Scholastica. He also
disappeared in February without informing his family and friends.
All three came from wealthy families who had no connection with
radical Islam. They were also information technology enthusiasts. Two
of the others were from lower income families but educated.
In an earlier case, security personnel arrested two persons in May
2015 suspected to be members of Islamic State. One was Animul Ialam
Beg, a computer science graduate and head of the IT department of a
multinational company. The other was Sakib bin Kamel, a teacher in an
English medium school in Dhaka. Obviously, Bangladesh intelligence
agencies had sniffed the growing influence of the IS in the country,
through the government remained in denial.
The problem of Islamic radicalism and terrorism is deeply enmeshed in
the political current in Bangladesh. The problem goes as far back as
1971 when Bangladeshis fought Pakistan at great human cost and created
an independent Bangladesh. But there was a minority at that time that
still supported Pakistan against the vast majority opinion. Subsequent
developments in Bangladesh like the assassination of Sk. Mujibur Rahman
in 1975, political rehabilitation and empowerment of those who were
against independence, re-emergence of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) by
President (Gen.) Ziaur Rehman in 1977-78 and, thereafter, Islamization
of the Constitution by President (Gen.) H. M. Ershad overturning the
original secular constitution of 1972, were the major springboards for
radical Islamization.; with the creation of the BNP by Zia in 1978 and
its partnership with JEI there was a sharp tilt towards Pakistan.
This introduced a deep divide in the country between the pro-Pakistan
and Islamic lot, and the freedom fighters and moderate Muslims of
Bangladesh (Sunnis with Sufi characteristics). The Awami League, which
led the freedom movement and was the repository of freedom fighters and
secularists, was sabotaged. The Awami League under Sk. Hasina, elder
daughter of slain leader Sk. Mujibur Rahman fought back and returned to
power in 2008 December. It still continues to be the ruling party. In
the last few years the country has been flourishing, with a GDP of over 6
percent and creation of jobs. But a bitter division has remained, and
seems to be getting worse.
The period between 1975 and 1990 was a period of political turmoil,
judicial murders, extrajudicial executions and the return of Bangladesh
to the Pakistani orbit.
The period between 2001 and 2006 saw the establishment of Islamic
radicals-cum-terrorists in the country with official patronage. The
BNP-JEI combine along with two other small radical parties known as the
four-party alliance was in power. The high profile Islamic terrorist
organisation Jamatul Mujahidin Bangladesh (JMB) under Abdur Rehman
established itself firmly. This group struck its roots in the country
in 1998 when the Awami League was struggling to retain its power, which
it lost comprehensively in the 2001 elections to the BNP-JEI combine.
The “9/11” incident, bombing of the New York World Trade Center by
the Al Qaida on September 11, 2001, encouraged the Mullahs and the JEI
to a sense of invulnerability. The secularists went into psychological
disarray and lost their initiative. A large majority of the people also
tried out the BNP-JEI alliance. Later, these same people changed their
decision after witnessing the rule of this combine for five years.
The JMB, which was established in 1998, comprised fighters who had
returned well indoctrinated from the Afghan Jihad against the Soviet
Union. By 2004-05 it had around 50,000 trained cadres with financial
assistance from Al Qaida and Pakistan’s ISI. Other major Islamic
organisations that sprouted almost simultaneously included
Harkat-ut-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI) Bangladesh, Hizbut Touheed,
Shadat-e-Hikma and Shadat-e-Nabuwat. Funding came from Saudi and Gulf
NGOs to promote Wahabism.
There is hard evidence that senior leaders of BNP like Air Marshal
(Retd.) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, BNP Home Minister, Lutfozzaman Babar,
another Home Minister and Successor of Choudhary, Deputy Minister Ruhul
Quddus Talukdar Dulu, and BNP Chairperson’s elder son and currently the
party’s Senior General Secretary, Tareque Rehman accorded those
terrorists protection and used them for political work including
assassination of political opposition. Sk. Hasina barely escaped with
her life in a grenade attack in 2004 in Dhaka. An atmosphere of terror
reigned over Dhaka those years.
Pakistan is a factor in Bangladesh and will continue to be. The
Pakistani military establishment is still nursing the wound of defeat in
1971. They have their supporters in Bangladesh in the last year at
least two members of the Pakistani High Commission in Dhaka were caught
giving funds to JMB activists to conduct terrorism.
Following the Holey Artisan Café attack on July 1, another attack
took place on an Eid congregation in Solakia, killing four including two
policemen, one woman and one of the attackers. This attack comes two
days after three Bangladeshi men appeared in an IS video warning that
the Holey Artisan attack was just the beginning and more attacks would
take place till Bangladesh comes a country ruled by Sharia.
The Islamic State has not established an organisation in Bangladesh.
Tactically and strategically, that opportunity has not come yet. But
they have succeeded influencing and winning franchises. JMB, which was
allied to Al Qaeda, appears to have shifted its allegiance to IS. The
IS claims it has territory and a caliphate, fighting and killing
perceived “enemies” of Islam. It is far more “attractive” than Al
Qaeda. The Ansarullah Bangladesh Team (ABT) is following the same
line. In a fluid situation shifting from one mentor to another can be
seamless. The target is common – Sharia law, caliphate and the killing
of non-believers who include Shias, Ahmedias and even moderate Sunnis.
What Bangladesh must seriously consider now is to look squarely at
the larger threat than from the narrow prism of party politics. If
political parties or individuals are involved, pinpointed action against
them is required. The BNP supported and reared terrorists groups for
political gains, Khaleda will have no space in a Sharia ruled society.
She would have to rethink her political strategy very carefully,
otherwise she and her party will be used and thrown away like a dirty
rag. The JEI is a harder met to crack as they support Sharia law and
segregation of women. They need utmost scrutiny, especially their
students’ wing the Islamic Chatra Shibir (ICS). The ICS is involved in
the current episodes against the minority and free thinkers.
The formation of organisations like the Olemea (Olema) League by the
Awami League may help for a short time. But they also believe in the
ultimate goal of Shariat.
Finally, give liberals and free thinkers space. Otherwise, their
space will be taken over by the fundamentalists. The confidence of
foreign investors is being shaken by these killings. It is time to act
and not miss the wood for the trees. If there can be street protests
against Israel’s attack on Palestinians, then why not similar people’s
protest against the terrorists?
By Bhaskar Roy
(The writer is a New Delhi based strategic analyst. He can be reached at e-mail grouchohart@yahoo.com)
Courtesy: South Asia Analysis Group
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