International initiatives to counter terrorism and militancy have more often than not been directed at the military aspects of such threats, with insuffi- cient attention paid to the specific context—the social, political, and regional dynamics—in which they evolve. In Bangladesh, for example, the combination of development challenges, weak governance, violent politics, and regional tensions has proved a combustible mix. These have prompted fears that the state is growing increas- ingly fragile and that it may be unable to withstand the threats posed by terrorism and violent religious radicalization over the long term.

The terrorist threat in Bangladesh is derived both from groups with strong emphases on jihad, as well as those whose primary focus is on proselytizing (dawa), though these may overlap for some groups. Exemplifying the former, groups like the Jamatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh (JMB) and Harakatul Jihad-i-Islami–Bangladesh (HuJI-B) challenge the legitimacy of the secular government, declare their opposition to democratic political processes, and propose a violent transformation of Bangladesh into an Islamic state. A concurrent surge of religious rhetoric in public and political life in Bangladesh has raised concerns about displacing the traditional practice of Islam in Bangladesh with more rigid and intolerant practices imported from abroad. However, there are also a number of important countervailing trends within Bangladesh that offer a means of combating these threats.

In order to effectively counter the threat of terrorism and its causes, it is vital that key stakeholders better understand the domestic context and operate within the opportunities and limitations it presents. Militancy in Bangladesh feeds off national challenges such as divisive and violent politics, weak governance, and the social impacts of underdevelopment. Moreover, acts of terrorism in Bangladesh are perceived, in part, as an extension of the violent means used by political actors to secure electoral victory and intimidate, if not eliminate, opponents and their supporters.
These challenges combine to create an enabling environment for the emergence of political violence and terrorism by promoting a culture of impunity, promoting confrontational means of resolving political differences, and creating heavily personal- ized patronage networks in place of strong civic bureaucracies and institutions. A broad-brush counterterrorism policy that fails to take into account these context-specific dynamics will not be effective in addressing the factors that create a permissive environment for terrorism and religious militancy.

The government of Bangladesh’s response has been largely reactive, rather than preventive, and it is constrained by resource and capacity limitations. However, the interrelated nature of governance and violence in Bangladesh presents multiple entry points for engagement by Bangladesh’s interna- tional partners. This paper explores national responses and the gaps therein which provide opportunities for engagement by international actors, and it offers a series of guidelines and recommendations aimed at maximizing resources for effective assistance to counter terrorism and violent religious radicalization.