Perspective Intelligence

Three Strands of Jihad

The 17 August 2005 bombings in Bangladesh, highlighted a growing problem with Islamic extremism in the country, which some commentators noted has been growing since the fall of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and subsequent exodus of fighters from that country into Bangladesh.  Islamic inspired terrorist activity is not a new phenomenon in the sub-continent, which has seen the creation of a myriad of Islamic terrorist movements that have subsequently fanned out around the globe.  What are often overlooked are the significant motivational and qualitative differences that exist within the broad milieu of Islamic movements.  There are significant differences between the ideas and tactical approach of the Taliban, the Arab Islamists that surrounded Bin Laden and became known as al Qaeda and the Mujahideen groups that fight in the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir.  The Taliban were and are focused on the local aims of establishing a fundamentalist Islamic regime in Afghanistan, the Mujahideen active in Kashmir are focused on destabilizing the Indian state and are used by the Pakistani government to these geo-political ends. Al Qaeda’s Islamist ideology has been concerned with confronting what it sees as the, apostate regimes of the Middle East and their chief sponsor the United States, in order to re-establish Islamic rule throughout the region.  While this may seen like insignificant nuance, the ideological differences are translated into tactical action with Islamists seeking strategic mass casualty targets in order to confront the west and the locally inspired groups seeking societal and governmental targets within their locales to advance Islamic political revolution.  It is also noticeable that the use of suicide terrorism is, by and large, non-existent within the local struggles and has not surfaced in Bangladesh.

For Bangladesh, to paraphrase, Tip O’Neill, all terrorism is local.  Bangladesh has three strands of serious terrorist organizations; Separatist, Maoist and Islamic.  The Separatist movements are located along the border areas of Bangladesh and are unlikely to impact the protective operation.  The Maoist movement in the form of the Purbo Banlgar Communist Party (PBCP) operate mainly along the border with the Indian state of Bengal – its aim is the capture of state power via armed struggle.  PBCP activities are focused in the rural areas of Bangladesh and also are unlikely to impact the protective operation.  The two main Islamic terrorist groupings have their aims and motivations firmly rooted in the local, or at least regional.  The most prominent of the Islamic movements operating in Bangladesh, before the August 17 attacks was, Harakat ul Jihad I Islami/Bangladesh (HUJI-B), which is linked to the wider Harakat movement — having its roots and motivation in the conflict over Kashmir.  The second grouping in Bangladesh, which is widely thought to have been responsible for the August 17 attacks, is Jagrata Muslim Janta Bangldesh (JMJB)/ Jamat ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). The links between the two groups are sufficient to classify them as one entity.  The JMB grouping has as its inspiration the Taliban and seeks to create a similar regime in Bangladesh.  Its focus is local and aimed directly at the Bangladeshi state or un-Islamic elements within the country. Read the rest of this entry »