(Superintendent of Police, Bangladesh Police Academy, Rajshahi, Bangladesh., Bangladesh)*corresponding author
AbstractThe emergence of Islamist Terrorism had defined the current era when in the name of Islam, most horrifying terrorist incidences of all time occurred killing thousands of people in the previous two decades has caused this vast devastation. After the incidence of 9/11 attack in the US and Bangladesh has also witnessed the most gruesome terrorist attacks, targeted killings and several small-scale terrorist incidences by Islamist Jihadists. This study focuses on the actual reasons that caused the emergence of Islamist terrorism in Bangladesh post 9/11 and initiatives or the measurements taken by the LEAs of Bangladesh. The research includes semi-structured interviews of ten participants from a different professional background. The research generated several critical facts. Political Islam, Ideology of Islamism, deprivation in every aspect and misinterpretation of Islam are the vital factors for emerging Islamist terrorism in Bangladesh post 9/11. Steps taken by the government or LEAs in response to Islamist terrorism are successful in most of the cases. Enactment of a certain law, prevention of terrorist financing, establishment of different operational units of LEAs and the efficacy of intelligence units are crucial to success in fighting against terrorism. This research recommends that the actual essence of Islam needs to be taught to the general people. Besides, employment opportunity has to be created, and terrorist financing has to be stopped. The recommendations for the LEAs are that they should emphasize on cooperation with the intelligence units, providing counter-narratives to terrorists, friendly attitudes with terrorists, being IT expert and preventing terrorist financing. KeywordsIslamist Terrorism; Political Islam; Misinterpretation of Islam; Intelligence; Terrorist Financing; Counter-Narratives
|
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.47679/jrssh.v5i3.371 |
Article metrics10.47679/jrssh.v5i3.371 Abstract views : 187 | PDF views : 23 |
Cite |
Full Text Download
|
References
Ahsan, T. (2019). Counter Terrorism Strategy A New Direction to Bangladesh, Department of Criminology. University of Dhaka. https://www.academia.edu/37649248/Counter_Terrorism_Strategy_A_New_Direction_to_Bangladesh
Alam, A. (2023). Geopolitical importance of Bangladesh. Daily Observer. https://www.observerbd.com/news/435675
Alom, M. S. (2024, July 8). How Far Is Bangladesh Successful In Counter-Terrorism? – OpEd. Eurasia Review. https://www.eurasiareview.com/08072024-how-far-is-bangladesh-successful-in-counter-terrorism-oped/
Ashraf, A. S. M. A. (2022). Spying and Hidden Partnerships in the Global South: Bangladesh’s Case. In I. A. Hussain (Ed.), Global-Local Tradeoffs, Order-Disorder Consequences (pp. 111–148). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-9419-6_5
Asia Society. (2024, September 5). Political Turmoil in Bangladesh: Hasina’s Fall, the Rise of an Interim Government, and Regional Dynamics | Asia Society. https://asiasociety.org/policy-institute/political-turmoil-bangladesh-hasinas-fall-rise-interim-government-and-regional-dynamics?utm_source=chatgpt.com
BBC. (2021). Bangladesh Avijit Roy murder: Five sentenced to die for machete attack on blogger. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56082108?utm_source=chatgpt.com
bdnews24. (2024). Hizb ut-Tahrir a “militant organisation”, arrest drives to contin. Bdnews24.Com. https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/630ee391d145?
Bhandari, P. (2020). A step-by-step guide to data collection’. Scribbr Publication.
BTI. (2024). Bangladesh Country Report 2024. Bangladesh Transformational Index. https://bti-project.org/en/reports/country-report/BGD
Cesari, J. (2021). Political Islam: More than Islamism. Religions, 12(5), 299. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12050299
Counter Extremism Project. (2020). Bangladesh: Extremism and Terrorism. Counter Extremism Project. https://www.counterextremism.com/countries/bangladesh-extremism-and-terrorism
Daily Observer. (2022). Wearing burqa, hijab constitutional rights of women: HC -. The Daily Observer. https://www.observerbd.com/news/368559
Dhaka Tribune. (2025). DMP warns of action against activities by Hizb-ut Tahrir, other banned organisations. Dhaka Tribune. https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/dhaka/375591/dmp-warns-of-action-against-activities-by-hizb-ut
East Asia Forum. (2021, June 26). Opportunism catching up with Bangladesh’s Awami League | East Asia Forum. https://eastasiaforum.org/2021/06/26/opportunism-catching-up-with-bangladeshs-awami-league/
EFSAS. (2019). The rise of political Islam and Islamist terrorism in Bangladesh. https://www.efsas.org/publications/study-papers/the-rise-of-political-islam-and-islamist-terrorism-in-bangladesh/
EFSAS. (2024). Revival in Motion? The Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh and Pakistan. https://www.efsas.org/EFSAS%20Article%20-%20Jamaat-e-Islami-%20April%202024.pdf
Fair, C. C., & Patel, P. (2022). Support for Domestic Islamist Terrorism in Bangladesh: Insights from a Novel Survey. Politics and Religion, 15(4), 673–699. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755048322000116
FATF. (2020). Bangladesh. https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/countries/detail/Bangladesh.html
Freedom House. (2024). Freedom in the world. https://freedomhouse.org/country/kazakhstan/freedom-world/2024
Freedom House. (2025). Bangladesh: Freedom in the World 2025 Country Report. Freedom House. https://freedomhouse.org/country/bangladesh/freedom-world/2025
Galindo, C. J. A. (2022). Jihadism, a Phenomenon That Did Not Start on 9/11/2001. Science Publishing Group, 11(5), 343-348. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20221105.22
Hajjaj, B. (2022). Islamic Political Parties in Contemporary Bangladesh: Paragons of Democratic Politics, or Rent-Seeking Parasites? Polit Journal: Scientific Journal of Politics, 2(4), 214–225. https://doi.org/10.33258/polit.v2i4.776
Hajjaj, B. (2024). Purveyors of Radical Islamism or Casualty of Cultural Nationalism: Situating Jamaat-e-Islami in Contemporary Bangladesh Politics. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 59(8), 2392–2409. https://doi.org/10.1177/00219096231153149
Hashemi, N. (2021). Political Islam: A 40 Year Retrospective. Religions, 12(2), 130. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12020130
Hizb ut Tahrir. (2024). In a Seminar organized by Bangladesh Policy Discourse (BPD), Hizb ut Tahrir / Wilayah Bangladesh was invited to discuss on the topic “New Bangladesh: Blueprint of a Just and Leading State – Reform or New Constitution” – ht bangladesh. https://ht-bangladesh.info/en/in-a-seminar-organized-by-bangladesh-policy-discourse-bpd-hizb-ut-tahrir-wilayah-bangladesh-was-invited-to-discuss-on-the-topic-new-bangladesh-blueprint-of-a-just-and-leading-state-re
Holez, J. (2021). Islamist Terrorism and the Classical Islamic Law of War. International Law Studies, 97.
Human Rights Watch. (2025, March 21). Bangladesh: Interim Government Should Protect Freedom of Expression and Opinion | Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/03/21/bangladesh-interim-government-should-protect-freedom-expression-and-opinion
Institute for economic and peace. (2024). Bangladesh Terrorism Index. Trading Economics. https://tradingeconomics.com/bangladesh/terrorism-index
Islam, A. (2017). Militancy rising due to poverty, misinterpretation of religion |. Prothom Alo. https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/Militancy-rising-due-to-misinterpretation-of
Islam, M., & Islam, M. (2018). Islam, Politics and Secularism in Bangladesh: Contesting the Dominant Narratives. Social Sciences, 7(3), 37. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci7030037
Lutful, R. B. (2023). The Dynamics of Islamic Radicalization in Bangladesh: Confronting the Crisis. Religions, 14(10), 1244. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14101244
Mostofa, S. M. (2021). Understanding Islamist Militancy in Bangladesh. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 56(8), 2036–2051. https://doi.org/10.1177/00219096211004630
Mostofa, S. M. (2025). Terrorism in Bangladesh: Political Manipulation, Ideological Roots, and Western Influence – The Diplomat. The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2025/02/terrorism-in-bangladesh-political-manipulation-ideological-roots-and-western-influence
Opdenakker, R. (2006). Advantages and disadvantages of four interview techniques in qualitative research. FORUM: QUALITATIVE SOCIAL RESEARCH SOZIALFORSCHUNG, 7. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/48666088_Advantages_and_Disadvantages_of_Four_Interview_Techniques_in_Qualitative_Research_Electronic_Journal
Prothom Alo. (2022, September 22). “Contours changing but terrorism remains.” Prothomalo. https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/1e73h3m1h8
Ratul, F. S. (2024). Trivializing atrocities: Examining the phenomenon of genocide denial in Bangladesh and the triumphalism of perpetrators. Discover Global Society, 2(1), 43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44282-024-00063-7
Rayhan, A. (2019). Political Opposition to the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War: Beyond Jamaat-e-Islami. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.18671.75687
Schmid, A. P. (2020). Discussion 1—Revisiting the wicked problem of defining terrorism. Contemporary Voices. https://cvir.st-andrews.ac.uk/index.php/up/article/view/s100/1074#page=7
Shoieb, Md. J. (2021). COUNTER-TERRORISM IN BANGLADESH: THE UN GLOBAL COUNTER-TERRORISM STRATEGY IN PERSPECTIVE. Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS, 42, 275–290.
Sida. (2024). Multidimensional Poverty Analysis Bangladesh. Embassy of Sweden, Dhaka, Bangladesh. https://cdn.sida.se/app/uploads/2025/01/27152343/Multidimensional-Poverty-Analysis-Bangladesh-2024_Sida.pdf
Talukdar, R. (2023). Misleading the masses: 80% of arrested militants are uneducated. Dhaka Tribune. https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/327854/from-madrasa-to-mainstream-74%25-arrested-militants
Tanvir, S., Matiur, M., & Mahzebin, T. (2021). Role of Politics in Rising Terrorism in Bangladesh. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3988886
TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL. (2025, February 11). Bangladesh. Transparency.Org. https://www.transparency.org/en/countries/bangladesh
UNHCR. (2009). Bangladesh: The Anti Terrorism Act, 2009. Refworld. https://www.refworld.org/legal/legislation/natlegbod/2009/bn/148290
UNODC. (2025). Bangladesh: Strengthening community policing to counter violent extremism and promote peace and security. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. https://www.unodc.org/southasia/frontpage/2025/February/bangladesh_-strengthening-community-policing-to-counter-violent-extremism-and-promote-peace-and-security.html
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2025 Sheikh Md. Abdullah Bin Kalam
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Journal of Research in Social Science And Humanities
Published by Utan Kayu Publishing
Email: jurnal.jrssh@gmail.com