BANGLADESH: A SMOULDERING CAULDRON OF ISLAMIST RESURGENCE

The growing anti-India sentiment and revival of fanatic outfits in Bangladeshi society open an additional front on the eastern flank that Bharat needs to counter.

- NAKSHATRA JAGANNATH A

INTRODUCTION

Successful conclusion of democratic national elections and return of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the fifth time has focused international attention and spotlight on the Islamic Republic of Bangladesh. Western Governments including the US raised concerns that the recent elections conducted on January 7th, 2024, were not free and fair. Bangladesh was generally considered a moderate Muslim democracy in contrast to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan which is the fountainhead of jihadi terrorism. In the recent past, Bangladesh has witnessed a systematic growth in religious fanaticism and jihadi extremism and an upswing in anti-India sentiments.

This trend has been supported by non-state actors and agencies of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

A large section of Bangladeshi population has been radicalized by the fugitive Indian Islamist hardliner Dr Zakir Naik who is currently living in Malaysia. Zakir Naik's Peace TV had a large following in Bangladesh before it was banned by the Bangladeshi government.