On the heels of recent terrorist attacks in Bangladesh, there should be an apolitical counter narrative against the radical ideology based on which the perpetrators are committing crimes in the name Islam, speakers said yesterday in a seminar. They agreed that it is not possible to fight terrorism by the government alone, rather the whole society especially the youth must be engaged to get the job done and laid emphasis on better understanding of the youths of the day. The Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) organised the seminar on “Recent Extremist Violence in Bangladesh: Response Options” at its auditorium in the capital. The speakers said this is a complicated and serious problem and the country will have to deal with it with all seriousness and better coordination among the law enforcing agencies both at home and abroad. They also observed that issues like unemployment, loneliness, family bondage and sports facilities will have to be addressed to keep the youth away from being attracted towards radicalisation. Inaugurating the seminar, Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali said that both media and mosques have become important partners in the awareness building campaigns against terrorism and Imams of Mosques have been trained and instructed to communicate with local people with the correct narratives of Islam.
He also said that the law enforcement agencies are verifying if the extremists are receiving any guidance from the international terrorist groups. Prime Minister’s Political Adviser HT Imam said in the closing session that the law enforcing agencies must act promptly, but not ruthlessly.
BIISS Chairman Ambassador Munshi Faiz Ahmed emphasised the necessity of engaging all of our stakeholders from home and abroad to combat violence, extremism and radicalisation.
Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque describe the Gulshan attack as a nasty surprise for the foreign ministry and expressed optimism that the difficult phase the country is going through will be short-lived.
BIISS Director General Major General A K M Abdur Rahman mentioned the importance of understanding the response options for recent extremist violence in Bangladesh.
Allama Fariduddin Masud, Principal of Jamiah Ikra Bangladesh and Imam of Sholakia Eid congregation, delivered a presentation on ‘Religious Explanation about Extremist Violence in Islam’.
He said that the terrorists are misinterpreting Islam and stressed the need for engagement with them to make them understand the true spirit of Islam.
One can only go to hell by killing people, he added.
Additional Inspector General of Police Md Moniruzzaman explained law enforcers’ perspective on recent trends in extremist violence in Bangladesh. “We are good when it comes to investigation and aftermath of any incident. But, we are not capable to prevent future attacks,” he said, adding that the judicial process of the country is very lengthy. The senior police official also emphasised that the country should have a full-fledged counterterrorism cell to fight terrorism and violent extremism. Former Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Sakhawat Hussain said issues like shrinking political space and lack of coordination between the law enforcement agencies should be addressed.
Maj Gen Md Abdur Rashid (Retd-) Executive Director of the Institute of Conflict, Law and Development Studies delivered the keynote presentation on the nature and current trend of extremist violence in Bangladesh.
BIISS Research Fellow M Ashique Rahman gave a presentation on changing trend of global terrorism from a historical perspective while  Shahab Enam Khan, Chairman, Department of International Relations, Jahangirnagar University explored a case study from Bangladesh on alleged linkage with global terrorism.
Dr Mekhala Sarker, Psychiatrist, National Institute of Mental Health, gave presentation on psychological motivation of youths behind extremist violence.