Extremism, terrorism and Bangladesh

This column will appear just ahead of 11th September, more popularly recognised as 9/11. It will be the fourth anniversary of the disaster that befell the cities of New York and Washington, USA and completely turned the world upside down. The urgency, panic and terror that were unleashed on that fateful morning have really not subsided. They appear to have grown and spread.

Indiscriminate terrorist acts have multiplied and so have the number of innocent civilian victims. Grenades, low and high intensity indigenous bombs and suicide attacks have slowly changed our concept of security. It has also raised questions as to whether the fight against terror undertaken by some countries has been a success. I will not offer any answer but shall affirm that the tentacles of terrorism and fundamentalism have spread to many parts of the world, including Bangladesh.

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Disgruntled and disaffected elements have used perverted interpretations of three principal common denominators -- radical opinions about Islam, views regarding the orthodox format of Islamic governance and opposition to secularism -- to advance their cause. These extremists are motivated, well-organised and well-equipped in terms of access to funds on the basis of international contacts. They are immune to humanitarian consequences of their actions and not circumscribed by rules of engagement.

Our constitution reflects the secular amity that has always existed within our geographical environment. The Preamble, Articles 2A and 11 highlight our respect for fundamental freedoms. They mirror the spirit of tolerance and understanding evident in our music, poetry, drama and other forms of literary expression. Our constitution also bears testimony not only to our aspirations but also to how Bangladeshis in general (except for a miniscule minority) came together, irrespective of religion, to liberate their country.

Three decades later, the values appear to have changed. The general population, who are inherently secular by temperament, have watched with dismay not only the gradual radicalisation of their daily lives but also the emergence of militant Islam in our country. It is probably the direct result of millions of Bangladeshis proceeding to conservative and feudal Arab countries for their livelihood. Having spent many years in confined intellectual environments, hundreds of thousands have returned with a more restricted vision of Islam. They have also sponsored and encouraged the growth of madrasa education, supported by funding from various Middle Eastern charitable institutions.

Bangladesh has been going through this evolution for the last two decades. It has not been as intense as in the case of Pakistan. Yet, the effect of such inter-action has been very clear, both in rural as well as in urban areas.

Investigative reports have revealed that money obtained from abroad (Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Libya, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia) by Islamic oriented NGOs in Bangladesh has been used not only for religious education and orphanages but also invested in business sectors like transport, pharmaceuticals, financial institutions, real estate, media and education. This in turn has generated sufficient funds that are being accessed to by militant organisations. Apparently, such resources are not only being used to encourage the recruitment of younger impressionable people for 'jihad' but also for operation of training camps for armed militants in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

I am not against madrasa education but strongly believe that there is no scope for extremism and intolerance in Islam. Unfortunately, what we are witnessing today is the throttling of 'Ijma' and 'Qiyas' and freedom of choice.

Madrasa education is an alternative that needs to be retained. It should however be adapted to meet the needs of the modern era. Madrasa students should not only receive religious lessons but also be introduced to scientific subjects, information technology and English. They should also be given vocational training so that they have the opportunity for different avenues of employment (other than being just an Imam) after graduation.

The events of 17th August have underlined one simple message. There is a divide in the understanding of Islam in Bangladesh. It has also reaffirmed that there are some who are willing to kill indiscriminately to achieve their own version of radical Islamic governance. We today have a threat which neglected any further, can cause serious havoc. We need to wake up to the reality that politicisation of this problem and mere denial will not encourage it to disappear.

It took the government four days to acknowledge that the series of blasts was an attack on our independence and sovereignty, on our democratic values and beliefs and on our image of being a tolerant society. It has also been termed as an attack on all Bangladeshi citizens irrespective of their religious faiths and political beliefs. This time round, emphasis has also been given not only to the determination to find out the criminals who carried out the acts but also those who had planned the operations from behind the scenes.

The proverbial penny seems to have finally dropped. Better late than never. At least, journalists are now not being blamed for publishing lies about extremist religious elements within the country.

A few weeks have passed since that fateful morning of 17th August. A year has passed since 21st August. Nearly eight months have passed since the assassination of former Finance Minister Kibria. Thirty years have passed since the shameful killings of 15 August. In between, there have been many other blasts and killings but no carriage of justice against the perpetrators of the criminal acts.

The general public have been assured by the government that serious investigations are underway. They have also been urged, most correctly, not to speculate. Similarly, civil society has been requested to help identify and apprehend the mentors involved in committing these heinous crimes. There have been many arrests. Joint investigation units are also trying to tie up the loose ends.

These are good steps. However, the process has to be sustained and should not suffer because of politicisation. We must also remember that unnecessary blame game and discovery of alleged foreign connections will not resolve this problem. The real perpetrators need to be discovered and punished. There cannot be any compromise on this.

There needs to be a bi-partisan approach which should also include responsible Islamic political parties. The latter, in particular, have to understand that even Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries will be careful about future recruitment of personnel from Bangladesh, if it is found that there is a wide Islamic militant presence in this country. Unchecked growth of militant Islam in Bangladesh will definitely impact on various areas of our national life -- including trade and the possibility of our students being able to study abroad. This is as serious as it can get, and there is no room for inadequate response.

Steps should be taken urgently to sharpen our security apparatus and to make it more effective. We have to take all necessary measures for guaranteeing safety not only of the common citizen but also for others involved with investment and trade.

In this context, it would be worthwhile for the intelligence agencies to undertake in-depth efforts to ascertain how these extreme groups are accessing to their funds, their method of disbursement of such funds, the organogram of these groups and the basis of their connectivity. Lastly, in addition to identifying the real leadership of these groups, the concerned agencies should also try to establish the reasons as to why and how law-abiding and peaceful citizens are being convinced to take up arms against their own state. It is important to understand the psychology of an extremist or a terrorist in order to contain him.

We must understand that we are fast losing our credibility in the international community. Our track-record in the past has been unsatisfactory. In this regard, it would be important for us to take note of the comments made recently in Dhaka by Mr Paul Wolfowitz, the President of the World Bank. He has acknowledged that 'on the whole this is a very tolerant country'. He has also significantly pointed out that "the mainstream forces in the country who believe in keeping this a tolerant society can unite on this important issue instead of arguing over smaller things."

It is a shame that not one individual has been punished as yet for the major crimes that I have enumerated earlier. This time round (unlike previous occasions), police should neither be reluctant nor be influenced about bringing charges against militants if there is specific evidence.

There has to be justice without fear, favour or being 'embarrassed'. Good governance demands that ultimate responsibility be assigned. Failure in this regard will only encourage terrorists to carry out future operations with further impunity.

Muhammad Zamir is a former Secretary and Ambassador -- any response to mzamir@dhaka.net