Bangladesh can’t be blind to terrorism

Not an inch in this world is free of terrorism. There are incidents cropping up all over. There are so many small incidents that do not even reach the international media.

The recent terror attack at the mosque in Christchurch and then the terrorist attacks at churches and hotels in Sri Lanka sent shockwaves over the world. On the day of the Sri Lanka incidents, around a dozen people were killed in a terrorist attack in Nigeria, but that hardly made global news.

At a press conference in Friday, the prime minister Sheikh Hasina said she was always concerned about terrorism and militancy. Even a peaceful country like New Zealand where police are hardly ever called upon, faced such brutality. Terrorism is under control in Bangladesh. The intelligence and law enforcement agencies are alert. She said, we have militancy under control.

Bangladesh has been more successful than many countries in the world in containing religious militancy, Islamic militancy to be precise. Terrorism has no religion, Sheikh Hasina said. She said that in
New Zealand a person fitted a camera on his head to film the entire shooting incident and spread it over the social media immediately. What a twisted mentality, she said, pointing out that he was a Christian. Those identified in the Sri Lankan incidents were Muslims. It is not only Muslims that are involved in terrorism. Christians, Buddhists and Hindus too carry out militant acts. “This is not a matter of religion,” she said.

Militancy is certainly not a religious matter, but a number of extremists from different religions, with their dark mindsets, are involved in terrorism. And 99 per cent of the people are anxious and alarmed by this handful of extremists. The man who attacked the mosque in New Zealand had no personal enmity with any of the victims. Those who carried out the bloody violence in Sri Lanka were not known to their victims. So there was no question of personal animosity. So what invoked such brutality and cruelty? After all, there is not dearth of sensitive people in the world either. The prime minister of New Zealand, her government and the people of the country won praise from the entire world because of their empathy.

While the law enforcement in Bangladesh has said that there is no apprehension of a terrorist attack, the risk cannot be ruled out. Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) from Sunday have begun a drive to mobilise public awareness against terrorism and militancy. The DMP commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah has issued letters in this regard to schools, colleges and various educational institutions of the capital to include them in this programme under 50 police stations of the city.

In a press briefing on Saturday, head of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit Munirul Islam said, “In context of global risks, our country is at risk, but there is no fear of any attack. We do not have any information so far of any threat or attack.” He said, “Our operations have managed to destroy the militants’ organisational capacity. However, the Sri Lanka incident must certainly have inspired them. But they do not have the organisational network, mental strength and equipment for any attack. It would take a long time for them to procure the equipment required for an attack.”

The intelligence and law enforcement agencies of all countries have a role in resisting conventional modes of terrorist and militant attacks. But no one can know when and where non-conventional acts of vengeance can suddenly burst out. These burst out in countries known to be peaceful, like Norway Sweden or Netherlands, in France or Spain. The terrorists do not need conventional firearms or grenades. In the once socialist France, the police had no forewarning that truck would run into the crowds, killing large numbers of people.

No one can know who will be the victim of terrorists. It could be the nonchalant pedestrian, people at prayer, innocent children at school, anyone. Faraaz, the grandson of Latifur Rahman, was killed in the militant attack at Holey Artisan. He had no enmity with anyone. Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim’s little grandson Zayan went with his family on holiday to Sri Lanka, only to return in a coffin. He had not the minimum idea about enmity or terrorism.

Many countries have all sorts of problems which lead to violent acts. The terrorist can sprout all sorts reasons for these acts. The long-standing clashes between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan security forces were a result of ethnic and political conflict. That has subsided. Islamic fundamentalism exists more or less everywhere, even among some of the Muslim minority in Sri Lanka. The international media is well aware of the Buddhist fanatics there too. They target Hindus, Muslims and Christians. The reason of the barbaric attacks this time is different. It was all about hatred and vengeance.

In many countries, military take over rule as in Myanmar. But the military rulers of Myanmar are fanatic Buddhist extremists. Much has been written about the barbaric acts of religious and ethnic oppression in Myanmar. Thousands and thousands of Rohingyas have fled into Bangladesh to escape from the torture. They are citizens of Myanmar but their crime is that they are Muslim and they speak Bangla.

Sheikh Hasina’s government has given them shelter on humanitarian grounds. The onus of their repatriation is not upon Bangladesh alone. Pointing out that the oppressed people may turn to terrorism, Sheikh Hasina has said that all countries must play a strong part in preventing such terrorism. She said, India, Russia, China and Japan all want the Rohingya issue to be resolved, but they are not playing a strong role in this regard.

The Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) recently said that the Rohingyas living in the refugee camps may incite terrorism there and create insecurity. Bangladesh simply cannot be blind to terrorism.

In order to uproot terrorism and militancy, all sorts of hatred must be cleared from the people’s minds regardless of their race, religion or creed. World peace will never come about unless the US and its allies bring a halt to their repressive policies in the Middle East. It is the domination of the mighty over the weak that incites the weak to violence. Unless the mighty displays control, it is not ethical for them to call upon the weak to exercise control and non-violence.

The bottom line is that Bangladesh is not free of the risk of terrorist attack. Highest alert is imperative.
* Syed Abul Maksud is a writer and researcher. This piece appeared in the print edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Ayesha Kabir