Bangladesh: Rise Of Unapologetic Jihadism – Analysis
By Sanchita Bhattacharya
On September 5, 2024, a 22-year-old man was beaten by a mob on the premises of the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Khulna Police in the Sonadanga area, over a social media post allegedly hurting religious sentiments. The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), however, asserted that the person was being treated under Army supervision, and was out of danger.
On September 4, 2024, a 15-year-old Hindu boy, Utsav Mondal, was brutally beaten by a mob inside a Police Station in the Sonadanga area of Khulna District after he was accused of making derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad on social media. The incident occurred around 11:45pm [BST] when a group of localmadrasa(Islamic Seminary) students brought Utsav to the Police Station, accusing him of posting "objectionable comments" about the Prophet, onFacebook.
On September 3, 2024, the Sufi Shrine of Ismail Pagla, was vandalised and looted by a violent mob in Haripur village of SadarUpazila(sub-district) of Sirajganj District.
On August 29, 2024, the Sufi shrine of Baba Ali Pagla located next to Bamanjani Bazar in Kazipur, Sirajganj District, was destroyed by a violent mob.
As reported on August 29, 2024, the ‘Deepto Shopoth’ sculpture built in memory of Police officers killed in the terrorist attack at Gulshan’s Holey Artisan Bakery (July 1, 2016) was demolished and replaced with a poster of the banned terrorist outfit, Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT).
On August 6, Ahmadiya mosques in multiple locations were attacked, including the Ahmadiya Mosque in the Bamnail village of Rajshahi District; the one at Choraikhola in Nilphamari District; the mosque at Madarte in Dhaka city; and an Ahmadiya mosque at Rangtia in Sherpur District.
On August 9, 2024, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad (BHBCOP) reported that 205 incidents of minority persecution had occurred across 52 districts of Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina's ouster on August 5. Nirmal Rosario, the president of the organization, stated,
We seek protection because our lives are in a disastrous state. We are staying up at night guarding our homes and temples. I have never witnessed such incidents in my life. We demand that the government restore communal harmony in the country.
The Interim Government formed on August 8, 2024, led by Mohammad Yunus as the Chief Advisor, has overwhelmingly failed to stop the violence perpetrated byjihadisand Islamist extremists, and has made the situation shoddier by lifting bans on radical Islamist groups and releasing terrorist accused and suspects from prison.
On August 28, 2024, the Bangladesh Interim Government lifted the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS). The Home Ministry stated in its gazette that the government has rescinded the previous circular that banned JeI-ICS, citing the absence of specific evidence linking them to terrorist activities. The present Government believes that these organizations are not involved in such activities. The Awami League (AL) Government had banned JeI-ICS on August 1, 2024.
Earlier, on August 26, Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) ‘chief’ Mufti Jashimuddin Rahmani was released on bail from Kashimpur High-Security Central Jail in the Gazipur District of Dhaka Division. He had been sentenced to five years in jail in 2015 for inciting the murder of blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider through his sermons. Deputy Jailer Mohammad Farhad Sarkar stated that Rahmani was released because there were no objections from the court or prison authorities, despite the four cases against him.
Bangladesh has been grappling with violence and vandalism since July. The protest against the Quota System, which finally saw the resignation and expulsion of Sheikh Hasina on August 5, was indeed a bloody agitation. The violence commenced after a High Court decision reinstated a 30 per cent quota for family members of freedom fighters, who had fought during the liberation movement of 1971. According to the High Court, the Government was free to reform the quota if it saw fit. However, on July 10, the Supreme Court suspended the High Court's order for a month, and was set to hear the Government's challenge on August 7. However, commencing on July 14, the protests took a dark turn after a statement by Prime Minister Hasina on television in which she refused to accept any demands of the protestors, referred to them asrazakars(members of an East Pakistan paramilitary force that opposed the freedom struggle of 1971 and collaborated with the Pakistan Army in its genocide).Violence intensified asBTV’sbuilding was torched on July 18; protestors attacked the former Mayor of Ghazipur, Jahangir Alam, and killed his bodyguard on July 19; and in Narsingdi District, protestors stormed a jail and freed hundreds of inmates before setting the building on fire. Under pressure, the Supreme Court preponed its verdict on July 21, curtailing the quota ofMukti Jodhha’sfamilies from 30 per cent to 5 per cent, with 93 per cent of positions now to be filled on merit. The remaining two per cent were assigned to people with disability, ethnic minorities, and transgender individuals. The Court also urged student protesters to return to their classes. Meanwhile, on July 31, Hasina government announced a ban on the JeI and its student wing, ICS. The Government claimed it had sufficient evidence that JeI and its front organization ICS were involved in killings, destructive and terrorist activities directly and through incitement. Following this ban, situation became more tumultuous and countrywide protests, increasingly led by Islamist radical elements, ultimately forced Hasina to flee Bangladesh and take refuge in India.
On August 15, 2024, the Health Ministry formed a 13-member Committee to prepare a complete list of the casualties that occurred during the agitation. Subsequently, as reported on September 4, the committee identified over 17,000 cases of fatalities and injuries at various hospitals across the country between July 17, 2024, and August 5, 2024. An unnamed member of the Committee stated,
So far, we've confirmed 600 fatalities. Of them, at least 440 people were declared dead on arrival at different hospitals. As such the death toll between July 17 and August 5 is believed to have reached 1,000.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) of the United Nations, in its report titledPreliminary Analysis of Recent Protests and Unrestin Bangladesh, published on August 16, 2024, observed,
…between 16 July and 11 August, more than 600 people were killed. Of these, nearly 400 deaths were reported from 16 July to 4 August, while around 250 people were reportedly killed following the new wave of protests between 5 and 6 August. The number of reported killings in revenge attacks since that time still remains to be determined… Those killed include protesters, bystanders, journalists covering the events and a number of members of the security force.
There is no doubt that various radical organisations have started aggressively projecting their political demands and aspirations after the formation of the Interim Government.
On August 9, 2024, supporters of HuT organised a rally at the North Gate of Baitul Mukarram in Dhaka city and demanded the establishment of theKhalifah(Caliphate) in Bangladesh based on Sharia law, which they claim would ensure "true justice and welfare" of all the citizens of the country. They also called for the ouster of foreign companies and annulment of annul strategic agreements with non-Muslim states.
On August 30, 2024,Nayeb-e-Amir(deputy chief) of Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB), Mufti Syed Muhammad Faizul Karim, declared at a rally in Shahbagh,
We will not engage in politics that disregards Islamic values… No syllabus can ignore the thoughts and beliefs of 92 per cent of the population. Any curriculum that goes against Islamic principles will not be accepted.
On August 31, 2024, Muhammad Yunus met with Hefazat-e-Islam leader and secretary general of the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis,MaulanaMamunul Haque, in Dhaka. After the meeting, Haque addressed the Press and disclosed that the Majlis had given a proposal according to which no individual could become the Prime Minister for more than two-term. Mamunul Haque also mentioned that the Majlis emphasised the need to implement reforms within a reasonable time frame and to hold the national elections. He stressed the importance of avoiding unnecessary delay.
On September 5, 2024, during the opening session of JeI'sMajlis-e-Shuraat Al-Falah Hall in Moghbazar in Dhaka, JeI Amir Shafiqur Rahman, asserted that Sheikh Hasina's government had carried out a clear genocide to suppress the Anti-Discrimination Student and Public Movement. He stated,
No one has the right to forgive those people who were behind this genocide. For the past 15 and a half years, we have faced hostility, our registration was revoked, our offices were sealed, we were not allowed to carry out our activities freely, and we were subjected to repeated harassment. In the end, a desperate government, in its last moments, banned us to soothe their own feelings. We have said we will not take revenge… Not taking revenge means we will not take the law into our own hands. However, those who have committed specific crimes will face legal action and punishment.
The ongoing situation in Bangladesh is volatile and the mainstreaming of jihadi voices is evident. In the coming months, various Islamist parties will demand an increasing share in the policy and decision-making processes of the country. Eventually this is likely to become problematic for the Interim Government, which has sought to appease all sections of the Islamist formations.
- Sanchita Bhattacharya
Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management