Why Yunus’ government can’t overlook jihadi groups exploiting Bangladesh’s turmoil

August 20, 2024

Bangladesh, once hailed as a model for development in South Asia, now finds itself at a critical juncture. The recent political upheaval and the shift in power dynamics have set the stage for a potentially volatile future. The resignation of Sheikh Hasina, one of the most influential political figures in the country’s history, has left a void that could be filled by forces threatening to destabilize the nation. This commentary seeks to explore the underlying causes of the current situation, the implications of the recent developments, and the challenges ahead for Bangladesh.

TM: NIA Dismantles Remaining Islamic State Cells in India

March 04, 2024
  • Executive Summary: India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested over 180 people in 2023 for involvement in jihadist terror cases, 65 of which were associated specifically with IS, as part of a broader strategy to disrupt IS’s influence in India. 
  • In December 2023 alone, the NIA conducted widespread raids across the country, arresting dozens of individuals linked to Islamic State (IS) networks and seizing weapons, explosives, and propaganda materials.
ANIMESH ROUL

TM: "Sri Lanka Struggles to Deliver Justice for Easter Sunday Terror Victims"

June 09, 2022

On April 21, amid an unprecedented economic meltdown, political turmoil, and social unrest, Sri Lanka observed the third anniversary of the Islamic State (IS)-claimed Easter Sunday terror attacks. To mark the occasion, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa promised once again to punish those behind the carnage that killed 260 people and injured over 500, who were mostly Christian worshippers at Easter services, foreign nationals, and tourists in hotels. Rajapaksa reiterated his government’s commitment to ensure justice for all the victims of the Easter terror attacks.

ANIMESH ROUL

PYRRHIC VICTORY: UNFOLDING NEW CHALLENGES FROM THE AFGHAN CONUNDRUM

The paper aims to comprehend the newly found challenges of Afghanistan that have emerged right after the sudden withdrawal of the American forces and have created a security vacuum in the war-torn country. The paper explores various dimensions through which a Taliban-controlled country can become the most significant security threat to the South Asian region and the rest of Asia, hampering the peace and stability of the region. Further, it reconnoitres the rise of the new Taliban regime and how it is different from the previous one.

SAURABH SINGH
DECEMBER 01, 2021

Radical Islam in Kerala: Perilously Persistent!

In June 2021, the then outgoing Kerala state police chief Loknath Behera, just two days before his retirement, observed that "Kerala is a recruiting ground because the people here are educated, and the [Islamic State] IS requires engineers and doctors. But we have dealt with it systematically, and it has come down." Perhaps, many Indians took that statement lightly. Many might have thought that the former police chief must be aspiring to join the politics by making such remarks.

Animesh Roul & Nihar Nayak

TM: "Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed Narrowly Avoids Assassination: A Political Conspiracy or Islamic State Plot?"

May 25, 2021

On May 6, Maldives’ Speaker of Parliament and former President Mohamed Nasheed was seriously injured in an assassination attempt outside his home in the capital, Male. The improvised explosive device (IED) blast also wounded members of his security team and bystanders, including a foreign national. Although jihadists elements remain the primary suspect for the attempt on Nasheed’s life, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

ANIMESH ROUL

Veiled Threat: Burqa, Madrasa and the Problem of Radicalisation in Sri Lanka

After over a month-long debate and discussion, the Sri Lankan cabinet, on April 27, 2021, imposed a ban on wearing Burqas (full-face veils in public used by Muslim women) and closing down madrasas (Islamic Seminaries) across the country. The government defended the decision by stating that these restrictions would improve national security and prevent radicalisation in society. As expected, few Islamic countries and groupings termed the decision as anti-Islamic.

ANIMESH ROUL & NIHAR NAYAK

MLM: "France Expels Islamic State-Linked Bangladeshi Extremist: Saif al- Rahman"

May 08, 2021

In late 2020, French authorities detained Saif Rahman (a.k.a. Totan) a 24-year-old Bangladeshi national, who was attempting to travel to Islamic State (IS)-controlled territory in Syria. During his interrogation, the French authorities uncovered his extremist beliefs and intention to join IS in the Middle East.

ANIMESH ROUL

TM: "Islamic State’s Easter Sunday Attacks in Sri Lanka: Assessing the Government’s Response Two Years On"

April 10, 2021

Two years ago, on April 21, 2019, eight suicide bombers affiliated with the Islamic State (IS)-linked local jihadist groups National Towheed Jamaat (NTJ) and Jammiyat-ul Millathu Ibrahim (JMI) carried out deadly terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka, targeting luxury hotels and Catholic churches. The synchronized attacks on that fateful Easter Sunday killed or injured over 750 people.

ANIMESH ROUL

EER: "Islamic State’s Khorasan Province: A Potent Force in Afghan Jihad"

December 28, 2020

Although the so-called Islamic State (IS) Caliphate crumbled and disintegrated in the Middle East, the group’s most potent branch, the IS-Khorasan Province (IS-KP) remains resilient. It continues to display its violent presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan, fiercely withstanding the unremitting onslaughts from government and rival Taliban forces. The group demonstratively retains the ability to carry out gruesome attacks at will in the capital Kabul and its traditional strongholds in Eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province.

ANIMESH ROUL
Subscribe to Islamic State