Unfortunate terror branding of Bangladesh
The very countries
which have issued red alerts have been victims of vicious acts of terrorism. The law enforcement personnel of those countries are much better equipped and trained than those of Bangladesh, yet they could not prevent these tragic events from happening. Yet these countries see no hypocrisy in their expecting that no untoward incident will ever happen in Bangladesh
According to media reports senior Indian army officer, Lt General Syed Ata Hasnain on Tuesday said that he does not see presence of IS in Bangladesh. He made the comment while responding to a question after delivering his lecture on Counter Terrorism Challenges in South Asia. Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) arranged the event.
The general also said that in his opinion Bangladesh is the least-threatened country in South Asia. It is just common sense to understand that militants belonging to IS do not go about attacking their enemies with choppers, knives or small bore weapons. No concrete evidence has ever come up that suggest a strong presence of IS in Bangladesh. Making claims to the effect that IS is present in Bangladesh do not make it a reality.
It is to be noted that the Indian generals statement runs counter to the gross overreaction showed by some Western countries regarding the terrorism situation in Bangladesh. Some countries have strongly advised their citizens not to visit Bangladesh branding the country as a place unsafe for foreigners. While we are deeply concerned about the recent unfortunate happenings in this country we would also like to reiterate the fact that a few tragic incidents do not mean the Bangladesh is in the grip of terrorist outfits out to destroy the fabric of the society.
As a matter of fact our authorities have shown the required toughness and determination to curb extremism. We do remember the terrorist attacks at the Ramna Batamul, UDICHI conference, simultaneous bombings in 63 districts, the activities of the notorious Bangla bhai and people of his ilk, etc. However we have not seen similar incidents in over a decade or so. Things have actually improved markedly regarding the tackling of organised terrorism. Instead of appreciating these, certain supposedly friendly countries are apparently trying to paint a scenario far removed from the reality.
Of course we cannot bury our head in the sand like ostriches and say that there is no threat of terrorism or extremism in Bangladeshthe recent targeted attacks bloggers and freethinkers prove that there is no room for complacency. However the authorities have shown sincerity in ensuring the safety of Bangladeshis as well as the expatriate community living here. However no society in the world has so far been able to totally eliminate the scourge of terrorism.
The very countries which have issued red alerts have been victims of vicious acts of terrorism. The law enforcement personnel of those countries are much better equipped and trained than those of Bangladesh, yet they could not prevent these tragic events from happening. Yet they see no hypocrisy in their expecting that no untoward incident will ever happen in Bangladesh.
