Bangladesh in Network of Global Terrorism

Prof Dr Colonel (Retired) K Prabhakar Rao

Bangladesh is a small country on the Eastern border of India and was part of former British India before independence was granted to India and Pakistan. It was known as East Pakistan earlier. Subsequent to Indo Pak war of 1971, East Pakistan broke away from Pakistan and emerged as Bangladesh. The country is only 36 years old and during these years, it has witnessed great upheavals in its history. Its first founding President Banga Bandhu (Friend of Bengali, a Title) Mujeebur Rehman was brutally assassinated on 15 August 1975 along with his family members by disgruntled middle level military officers and military dictatorship was imposed within few years of liberation. This clearly proves that Islamic States are averse to democracy and invariably fall victims to autocratic princely rules or dictatorial military governments. They can never establish a real democracy because they mix up religion and politics and can not stay without that. Religion and governing go hand in glove in all Muslim societies except in Turkey set up by Mustafa Kemal. The country suffered long spells of military rule under military Generals one after the other and short stints of precarious and strife torn pseudo democracy in which fundamentalism flourished unabated.

A series of bloody coups and counter-coups in the following months after murder of Mujeebur Rehman, the first founder president, culminated in the ascent to power of General Ziaur Rahman, who reinstated multi-party politics and founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Zia's rule ended when he was assassinated in 1981 by elements of the military. Bangladesh's next major ruler was General Hossain Mohammad Ershad, who gained power in a bloodless coup in 1982 and ruled until 1990, when he was forced to resign under western donor pressure in a major shift in international policy after the end of communism when anti-communist dictators were no longer felt necessary. Since then, Bangladesh has reverted to a parliamentary democracy. Zia's widow, Khaleda Zia, led the Bangladesh Nationalist Party to parliamentary victory at the general election in 1991 and became the first female Prime Minister in Bangladesh's history. US officials say they were "looking closely" at Bangladesh as Islamic organizations proliferate amid political violence that has flared since bitterly contested parliamentary elections in October 2001. These were won by a four-party coalition headed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). It includes three religious extremist parties, which are staunch supporters of Islamic fundamentalism However, the Awami League, headed by Sheikh Hasina, one of Mujib's surviving daughters, clinched power at the next election in 1996 but lost to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party again in 2001. Bangladesh enjoys the distinction of having two female politicians leading national politics (1). The country is again in turmoil with disturbed parliamentary system with interim government.

Bangladesh that was liberated in 1971 by shedding Indian Blood preferred to turn their guns at India in a most thankless way ( Compare the gratitude of French nation that presented statue of liberty to America in gratitude ). It had strained relations with India and even resorted to armed border violations and firing on Indian border posts, abduction of Indian Border security force soldiers of India in 2002 who were murdered brutally. Some of them were put in boiling water and eyes were plucked out. India did not respond militarily on a tiny and militarily insignificant nation probably for the fear of adverse world opinion. India chose to be tolerant and resorted to inaction. Many see this not as tolerance but as an act of inept handling amounting to mere cowardice and impotence. (Just compare reaction of Israel on Lebanon in the last conflict of 2006 after its soldiers were kidnapped by Hezbollah that also provoked by firing rockets into Israel. Probably this is the only proper and correct language these Islamic countries understand.) This has been also seen as national weakness that saw enslaving of India by various invaders during the by gone years. It swallowed these brow beatings and slap on face with a smile and looking bright (2). Bangladesh has river water disputes with India. Many illegal immigrants enter India regularly into eastern States of Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya and West Bengal and are destabilizing the vote banks in these states and this is also causing social tension. Problem is akin to influx of Mexicans into USA from its southern borders. The only difference is that Mexicans are not Muslims indulging in acts of treason while most of the Bangladeshis are Muslims and strength of the Muslim population in Indian eastern states is growing apart from rising fundamentalism and anti Indian activities and abetting of terrorist activities. It is not only Hindus migrating but Muslims too are crossing over. The selfish leaders in Indian States, for creating favorable vote banks abet this illegal migration thereby causing long time damage to the nation.

Bangladesh resorted to systematic Islamisation of the country by persecuting the minorities by resorting to murder, mass rapes, pillage, looting and arson. People’s Investigation Commission (PIC)headed by Prof. Zillur Rahman Siddiqui, ex-Vice-Chancellor of Jahangir Nagar University, savar, Bangladesh, gives a melancholy picture of the condition of religious minorities (about 20 million out of a totalpopulation of 120 million) in Bangladesh It has conducted an extensive enquiry into the persecution of religious minorities after the October 1, 2001, parliamentary elections, in which Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami combine came to power. Bangladesh is now fully Talibanised. 64 thousand Madrasas all over the country funded by the petro-dollars of Middle East are turning out hundreds of Islamist gangsters, whose main religious duty is to perpetuate the continuum of carnage against Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. It is state-sponsored terrorism against the religious minorities. Since the October 1, 2001 election, more than 45 thousand Hindus have already migrated to India. Four thousand homes of Hindus have been destroyed and their lands have been illegally occupied. Mass migration of Hindus to India continues unabated till today. The strength of Hindus in Bangladesh that was 29.1 % at the time of partition has now come down to 7 % that speaks of systematic persecution of Hindus by the Muslim masses. The PIC report confirms this: “It is an established fact that Hindus have been continuously migrating to India which the government here refuses to acknowledge. A look at the success census figures will establish this truth. The government refuses to explain the reasons for the sharp decline in the Hindu population, though the decadal growth of the Muslim population is rising sharply.” “Backed by evidence from local and international Development groups sent to the government several months ago, it includes reports on tortures, extra-judicial killings, gang rapes, the looting and burning of temples and churches, evictions, beatings, the theft of land, destruction of property, financial extortion and threats of physical violence. All the cases have been reported to the police.”

“But The Guardian has uncovered evidence that Bangladesh is sliding into a situation in which oppression of minorities is becoming systematic “The country, which is 85% Muslim but has a long tradition of tolerance to religious minorities, is being pushed towards fundamentalism by the Jamaat-e-Islami party, which is growing rapidly in the poorest rural areas, according to organizations on the ground. It now shares power with the majority Bangladesh National party and effectively runs two key ministries.” (3)

The BNP argues that coalition rule helps moderates in the Jamaat to combat Islamic extremist factions. But the reality is that Jamaat inroads in the government security machinery at all levels, starting with Home Secretary Muhammad Omar Farooq, widely regarded as close to the Jamaat, have opened the way for suicide bombings, political assassinations, harassment of the Hindu minority, and an unchecked influx of funds from Islamic charities in Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf to Jamaat-oriented Madrasas (religious schools) that in some cases are fronts for terrorist activity. With some 15,000 hard-core fighters operating out of 19 known base camps, guerrilla groups sponsored by the Jamaat and its allies were able to paralyze the country by staging 459 closely synchronized explosions in all but one of the country's administrative districts. When the key leaders of these groups were captured, they were kept by the police in a comfortable apartment, where they were free to receive visitors. A cartoon in the Daily Star of Dhaka on July 24 showed them lounging on a rug, conducting classes in bomb making. Their fate and present place of confinement is uncertain, and all of the major guerrilla groups are back to business as usual (4).

Of late, the outlawed terrorist and militant organizations in Bangladesh have become active with instability of political situation in Bangladesh. These are Harkat ul Jihad (HUJI) Hizbut Towhid, Jagrata Muslim Janata (JMJ), Muslim Guerilla Sangashta (MGS), Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). These are now active in southwest region of the country that are Kushthia, Mirpur,, Jenida, Jessore, Khulna, Narail and Satkhira provinces. These 12000 militants are invariably students from Madrasas (religious schools) where fundamentalists are bred in the name of religion. Police claim that they arrested 26 in Kushtia, in 2003, 35 in Jhenidah in 2004 and four in Satkhira recently. Most of the militants who went underground following crackdown on them after serial bomb blasts in August 17, 2005 have now resurfaced and become active. Police also claim that the situation is under control, but it is doubtful (5). These Militant outfits want the entire country turned into Talibanised (Bengali Version) State. They abet terrorism and are indulging in cross border terrorism and exporting terrorist activities into India. Young misguided Muslim youth from India are being trained in Bangladesh into these terrorist activities and are being sent to take up suicide missions. The suicide bomb explosion in Hyderabad at Special Police Headquarters in the city few years ago was engineered by Bangladeshi terrorists and one Home guard was killed in the action as most of the inmates were away being a holiday. The Bangla terrorist link is also suspected in the recent bomb blast in Mecca Maszid in Hyderabad. Nearly seven Muslims died while praying and another seven were shot dead in police firing to quell the rampaging mobs after the blast. Thus Bangladesh is actively involved in exporting Terrorism. It is also on the net work of AlQaeda organization. The terrorist activities particularly in South Indian States are being linked to Bangla connection. This is attributed to systematic build up of fundamentalist ideology (Talibanisation) and Islamisation of the whole country and hatred to other religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity. Bangladesh is a set example to prove that Islamic societies can not co exists with other religions when they are in majority and are rulers. The ugly serpent of Islamic fundamentalist ideology surfaces in such societies spewing venom and hatred towards others and religious intolerance raises its naked head and they perpetuate untold crimes on others to drive them away or disseminate them out of existence. Bangladesh is the best example in this context. In fact, Wahhabi Islam got foothold in former Bengal provinces (Bangladesh was a part of it) during British regime in India.

India, which had turbulent relations with Bangladesh since it gained independence from Pakistan in 1971, alleges that there are 195 camps in Bangladesh where guerrillas seeking autonomy or independent statehood in north-eastern India are being harbored and trained. Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's government in Bangladesh repeatedly denied it supports anti-Indian militants or allows Islamic organisations, some of them linked to Al-Qaeda, to flourish. Given the BNP's reliance on its Islamic partners that position is to be expected. The US and its Western allies are gradually waking up to the potentially explosive situation developing in Bangladesh, which former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, leader of the Awami League, the main opposition party, calls the "Talibanisation" of Bangladeshi society (6).

Though India is a secular country, both Pakistan and Bangladesh are Islamic Republics and they have driven out most of the Hindus and Sikhs from their land since the creation of Pakistan in 1947. In 1947, Hindus numbered 24 per cent of the then Pakistan's population; but now number under two per cent. In Bangladesh, Hindus numbered 30 per cent in 1947; but now number nine per cent. In contrast in India, present percentage of Muslim population is much higher than that in 1947. And Pakistan's ISI and its loyal pupil Bangladesh's Director General of Field Intelligence are determined to create one more Islamic country on Indian soil. And to achieve this task, apart from driving out Hindu/Sikh population from their countries, Pakistan and Bangladesh have sent countless terrorists and crores of their nationals into India. Besides, they have planted a number of Madrasas on India's border with Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan (7).

In this context, it is essential, relevant and most appropriate to recall the sane advice of distinguished patriot Chakravarthy Rajagopalachary, an eminent South Indian freedom fighter, Associate of Mohan Das Karamchand Gandhi and distinguished leader, writer and the former and last Governor General of India who took over from Lord Earl Mountbatten in 1947. He wisely cautioned Indira Gandhi, the dominant Prime Minister (Later assassinated by Sikh Body Guards in 1984) in later years against breaking up of Pakistan by liberating East Pakistan. He cautioned that it would be the most impolite step and in such situation, India would be facing two Islamic fundamentalist States craving for Hindu blood one on each side. By leaving East and West Pakistan as it is, it would be more favorable to India as they would be always struggling with each other with internal rivalries and would be busy with their own problems. But this advice was neglected and in 1971, India liberated East Pakistan after a war. His prophecy became true. Very soon, all good relations disappeared between the two countries and Bangladesh turned fundamentalist and hostile to India and has emerged as a savage terrorist State on the world scene having been Talibanised, detrimental to world peace. After persecuting minorities in the country, it is aiming at Talibanisation of India in league and in hand in glove with its erstwhile enemy Pakistan. India would be digging its own grave by the policy of appeasement and inaction against Bangladesh that is doing untold damage to stability and social fabric by their nefarious activities that are needed to be countered ruthlessly. There is a saying that even a small snake is required to be hammered with a strong and long stick. Some are also of opinion that Bangladesh needs a treatment akin to that given by Israel to Lebanon in 2006 to keep them on right tracks.

Bibliography

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2. Prof Dr Colonel (Retired) K Prabhakar Rao, Strategic studies into Muslim fundamentalism, its rise in India and its growing threat to India’s security across the borders, Ph D Thesis, TIU, USA, 2003,

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5. Militants active again in Bangladesh, Deccan chronicle, Hyderabad, AP, India, Date May 8, 2007, PP 13

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