Militant activity: No recent incidents, but surveillance has weakened

There have been no major militant attacks in Bangladesh in the past nine years. There has neither been any significant public activity from persons involved with militancy. However, various extremist groups have occasionally attempted to regroup covertly, but they failed to gain enough strength to launch large-scale attacks.

The Sheikh Hasina government was ousted through the student-people mass uprising on 5 August last year. A section of the police force was involved in violent repression, including the use of lethal force in the movement. This led to widespread public outrage, forcing a restructuring of the police force. Although operations resumed, surveillance of militant groups has largely ceased in this changed political situation.

Over the past three decades, four militant organisations have been most prominently linked to terrorist attacks in the country. Those are: Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B), Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Neo-JMB, Ansar al-Islam.

After the 1 July 2016 attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery, Neo-JMB drew the most attention. In response, security forces launched 15 anti-terrorism operations, resulting in 64 deaths. According to law enforcement sources, after the fall of ISIS in Syria, its supporters in Bangladesh like in other countries also failed to reorganise.

Bangladesh also improved its position by three notches in the Global Terrorism Index (GTI). On 5 March this year, Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) released the GTI 2025 report, placing Bangladesh at the 35th position with a score of 3.03, compared to 32nd the previous year.

Bangladesh ranked 4th out of seven South Asian countries. The worst performing countries in the region are: Pakistan (1st), Afghanistan (2nd), and India (3rd).

Organisations and individuals working in the field say that the growth of militancy is a long-term process. It is often influenced by global and regional factors. That is why, there is no way to say Bangladesh is entirely risk-free since online extremist activity remains a concern.

Meanwhile, 36 Bangladeshi expatriates in Malaysia have been arrested for alleged involvement in militant networks. According to Malaysian media outlets The Star and The Vibes, between 24 April and June, the law enforcement agencies of the country detained the 36 people for promoting ISIS ideology there and attempting to form recruitment cells within their communities.

The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commented on the current situation.

CTTC’s additional commissioner Md. Masud Karim told Prothom Alo that while there is no immediate threat of a major attack, surveillance continues to maintain stability.

Organisations and experts working to counter extremism say that under the Awami League government, law enforcement was highly active in combating militancy. However, there were allegations as well of targeting opposition political voices and abusing innocents under the guise of counterterrorism.

Those allegations intensified after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, casting doubt on the legitimacy of past counterterrorism efforts, with frequent claims of human rights violations.

The interim report submitted by the Commission on Enforced Disappearances also touched upon this issue.

At a press conference on 19 June, retired justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury said terrorism remains a real threat globally, and Bangladesh is no exception, as demonstrated by the 2016 Holey Artisan attack. However, confronting this threat requires integrity, a firm commitment to human rights, and adherence to lawful processes.

He further said when anti-terror efforts are used as a tool to suppress political opposition, it undermines the rule of law, institutions, and public trust.

During the Awami League tenure, several key figures involved in anti-militancy efforts faced human rights violation allegations. At the same time, some of the people once arrested on terrorism charges have since been released on bail or freed in other ways, and have now levelled accusations of unlawful detention and torture against those officials.

In this atmosphere, newly appointed officials in counterterrorism roles express discomfort in carrying out duties, leading to serious gaps in extremist surveillance.

The CTTC unit of DMP, which has long been involved in anti-terror efforts, reportedly now maintains minimal surveillance of extremist elements. Their cyber patrolling and online monitoring activities have significantly decreased. Tracking of suspects’ movements is now either highly limited or entirely absent.

Experts stress that extremist threats must be viewed without political bias, and law enforcement must prepare accordingly to mitigate any risks.

Speaking about the overall situation, militant activity analyst and human rights activist Noor Khan told Prothom Alo, “Numerous militant attacks in the past have led to deaths and disabilities. At the same time, some of the incidents seemed orchestrated to attract international attention and consolidate power.”

He pointed out that there have even been cases where people were arrested and labelled extremists merely for practicing their religion.

Noor Khan further said, “After the 5 August uprising, many truly involved with militancy have been released on bail or otherwise freed. The law enforcement agencies are showing lax in conducting surveillance on them. This cannot be allowed to continue for long. This could lead to serious consequences in the future if proper importance is not given to it.”