Like
in most recent incidents of mysterious secret killings in Bangladesh,
the Islamic State (IS) has also claimed responsibility for murdering a
volunteer of a Hindu monastery in Pabna Sadar Upazila on Friday. The
claim was made in a report by the US-based SITE intelligence
group---that adverts IS activities worldwide---several hours after
Nityaranjan Pandey (60) was hacked to death, the latest victim in the 22
attacks the IS has allegedly launched in Bangladesh since September
2015, killing at least 20 people. The victims included variety of people
such as bloggers, atheist writers, teachers, monk, priest and Islamic
preacher as well as gay rights activists across the country.
IS, a
Middle-East based terror group, repeatedly claims its presence in
Bangladesh and warns of more deaths impending in its war on enemies of
Muslim faith. However, the Bangladesh government has persistently denied
any presence or existence of IS in the country - and on Friday fielded a
weeklong crackdown against the terrorists and militants. As of
Saturday, police claimed they have netted 37 suspected militants among
more than 4,000 people detained. The drive will continue.
The IS,
among various local and international terror outfits, has definitely
thrown a challenge to the law enforcers in Bangladesh, who apparently
are finding it difficult to tackle the growing menace. Are the IS and
its local agents in Bangladesh more powerful and technically superior to
our law enforcing agencies? The answer is yet unknown. Another question
often being asked is whether we actually know about the IS, who they
are, what is their mission and how they perform in the global landscape?
Born from an especially brutal al Qaeda faction, the Islamic State of
Iraq and Syria (ISIS) - better known as IS -- has grown from relative
obscurity in recent years to overshadow its extremist patrons. It now
terrorizes large swaths of Syria and Iraq, has become the target of the
largest US military operation in Iraq in years and, its cold-blooded
execution of multiple Westerners dominates headlines the world over.
Lately, it is said that IS has spread its operations to Bangladesh as
well. Question is what the IS wants to achieve in this country while
they are heavily engaged in the Middle East, the Gulf states and other
countries strategically much more important than Bangladesh?
In
Bangladesh they have killed (as it is claimed in the SITE and other
IS-friendly groups) people virtually on the fringe of the society. But
we should not be mistaken for saying this as we surely know all human
deaths are deplorable, more so when they happen in mysterious ways - and
never to be condoned or viewed leniently. However, considering the IS
profile and its operational dimensions, doesn't it look a bit on the
lofty side to claim responsibility for the killings in Bangladesh? This
may be true or not.
But what I would like to stress here is that
before accepting or rejecting the IS claims have our civil and military
intelligence agencies done any investigation or survey independently or
in collusion with American intelligence to see whether the adverts and
statements issued by SITE are credible and can be trusted. Is it too
difficult to check whether the statements were actually issued by the IS
or any local militant group using the name of IS?
To many of us,
the claims seem apparently unbelievable as IS - as we have seen over the
years -- targets important public and military figures, involves in
face to face battle with powerful army and is trying to establish their
own rule and create their own territory. What IS will gain by killing
some "comparatively petty' people in Bangladesh is indeed a mystery.
Bangladesh
has about a dozen local Islamist militant groups which continue preying
on anyone hurting or demeaning Islam and Islamic values. They are doing
their jobs without much problem in Bangladesh. Then why IS or other
international terror groups would like to join the terror campaign in
Bangladesh?
We have seen that Bangladesh government and opposition
parties, especially the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), have
relentlessly tried to put blame for secret killings on each other - but
so far with no confirmation as such. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said
she has proofs of BNP-Jamaat involvement in these killings while BNP
says they are acts of the government trying to divert people's attention
from misdeeds and failures. We don't want to argue who is right and who
is not. Our concern is IS that we probably are 'popularizing' in our
country by way of never ending politically-charged blame game. Should we
keep doing so or stop now is a matter to be seriously considered.
Meanwhile,
our law enforcers should come out with clear confirmation that people
they held on suspicion of militancy are actually militants and present
their full details before the public - to remove a growing perception
that Bangladesh police and other forces are unable to match the superior
IS or other militants as of now.
Sometime we have heard our key
police officers saying the militants (Ansarullah Bangla Team, JMB and
others) have better training and possess better weapons. Is it so?
Bangladesh police are also highly trained in tackling crimes and in
counter terrorism and has international support including from America
to improve their skills. Then why they should be unable to counter the
militants and terrorists in Bangladesh effectively? Bangladesh
government spends lot of money on police training and efforts to infuse
in them efficiency. Our police personnel in UN Peace Missions have made
their mark with lots of praises. But in confronting home-grown militants
why they are so helpless!
Around 4,000 people have been detained in
two days of the week-long terror hunt - that started only after a senior
police officer's wife had been killed in Chittagong. But can't we
question why the 'crackdown' on terror did not begin earlier? Didn't the
law enforcing agencies know Bangladesh has active militant groups?
Surely
they did but it was their 'traditional' apathy and lack of urgency to
act promptly. Maybe we have overstayed our compassion and now must take
the drive furiously ahead - but sparing the innocent public or political
rivals just for politics' sake. The terror groups should be crushed by
all means no matter how tough a nut they are to break. And, any measure
of insincerity or neglect in doing so must be treated appropriately.
Bangladesh
is making steady progress despite on-and-off political turmoil and a
continuing standoff between the ruling and opposition parties. Now, the
IS 'salt' added to the already hot curry cooked with 'red chilli' will
only make it difficult (for the government) to digest.
Therefore,
let's give up any adventurism in usual inaction or over action - and
instead go straight to bust the terror outfits and destroy their
mentors.
Anis Ahmed is Executive Editor, The Daily Observer