প্রকাশ: 01/05/2023
Bangladesh has been one of the most effective nations in combating terrorism since 2016, and the country has steadily risen in the rankings each year. Bangladesh improved two notches in the most recent edition of the Global Terrorism Index, from 41 in 2022 to 43 in 2023, according to the report by Global Terrorism Index -2023 (GTI).
Bangladesh received a score of 3.827 on a scale of 0 to 10
that measures the impact of terrorism in a particular nation, where 0 indicates
no impact and 10 indicates the greatest measurable impact. Such growth is
remarkable for the nation, particularly considering that it has surpassed the
majority of its contemporaries in the South Asian region, with India ranked
thirteenth and Pakistan ranked sixth.
Bangladesh has also surpassed the United States, which currently ranks 30th among the nations most afflicted by terrorist activities. Such success for Bangladesh after several setbacks is a testament to the country’s will to fight terrorism without compromising its values.
Latest GTI report shows lower terrorism rate
Terrorist deaths decreased by 9% in 2022, the analysis found, reaching a total of 6,701. The decline in fatalities was followed by a decrease in the number of incidents, which decreased by nearly 28 percent from 5,463 in 2021 to 3,955 in 2022. Afghanistan (8.822), Burkina Faso (8.564), Somalia (8.463), Mali (8.412), Syria (8.161), Pakistan (8.160), Iraq (8.139), Nigeria (8.065), Myanmar (7.977), and Niger (7.616) rank among the top 10 countries with the highest GTI score.
South Asian region has the worst GTI!
Even though South Asia reflects the global trend of a
decline in terrorism-related deaths in 2022, it has the worst average GTI
score, the same as the year before. The region recorded 1,354 terrorism-related
fatalities in 2022, a decrease of 30% from the previous year. Bhutan is the
only country in the region with a GTI score of 0, indicating that it has not
experienced a terrorist incident in the past five years. In terms of the impact
of terrorism, Bhutan ranked 93rd globally, behind Bangladesh (43), Nepal (36),
Sri Lanka (29), India (13), Pakistan (6), and Afghanistan (1).
India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, three of the South Asian
nations, are among the top 15 nations most likely to be affected by terrorist
activities.
India:
India was 8th in the number of deaths from terrorism that
went down in the last year, but it is very high on the GTI list. The country’s
religious and communal diversity readily sows the seeds of terrorism. Since
ages, Pakistani Jihadist gangs have been terrorizing Jammu & Kashmir.
Notably, terrorism with profound Maoist roots is an additional problem in
Northern India.
Pakistan:
Pakistan recorded 643 casualties from terrorist attacks in
2022, a 120% increase compared to 2021. The majority of deaths are attributable
to Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA), the terrorist organization with the
quickest growth rate. In addition, three of the ten deadliest terrorist
organizations were active in Pakistan last year. The developing country once
had a bright future, but its ominous ties to terrorist organizations and the
government’s reluctance to combat them with force have created a constant state
of chaos and insecurity in the lives of its citizens.
Afghanistan:
Afghanistan continued to be the nation most afflicted by
terrorism for the fourth consecutive year, despite a 75% and 58% decrease in
attacks and fatalities, respectively. The nation received a total score of
8.822 on this year’s evaluation.
As mentioned, a higher rank with a lower score indicates
less terrorism impact; therefore, Bangladesh has done a commendable job of
regulating terrorism in the country, as it ranks 43rd, while India ranks 13th
and the United States ranks 30th. Bangladesh also outranked many South Asian
countries.
Bangladesh saw the second-greatest reduction in the impact
of terrorism in South Asia in 2022, followed closely by Nepal, which recorded
two attacks but no fatalities.
In Bangladesh, the anti-terrorism mission is based on the
strong will of the government and the active participation of various branches
of law enforcement. Pakistan’s current situation exemplifies how rapidly
terrorism can become an impediment to a country’s development. As a result,
Bangladesh spared no effort in maintaining its international reputation as
a pro-peace nation. As Bangladesh has performed better than Nepal, Sri Lanka,
India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, there is no doubt that the country’s South
Asian counterparts can learn from the country’s achievements.
In 2005, the Muslim militant organization called
Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) carried out 459 explosions in 63 districts
within 30 minutes. This horrifying event made the country realize that
terrorism has arrived on its frontiers. In 2009, terrorist activities had
increased even more. Bangladesh did not the infrastructure to deal with
such a crisis at the time, but the Awami League government doubled down on
militants with all that it had available, and it worked extremely well in
combating the country’s militancy threat.
Bangladesh’s proactive counter-terrorism strategy began with
the 2009 Anti-Terrorism Act (amended in 2023), 2012 Money Laundering Prevention
Act (first to include terrorist fund provisions), the formation of a National
Committee for Intelligence Coordination, a 17-member National Committee on
Militancy Resistance and Prevention headed by the state minister for Home
Affairs, and the banning of all UN-designated terrorist groups.
Government also took steps to integrate the Aliya and Quami
madrasas into the secular and mainstream educational system after discovering
that radical beliefs were being taught to students who would later go on to
engage in terrorist acts.
The prompt and thorough response
To track down militants, a zero-tolerance policy was
implemented, the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) was established, and a joint
clearance operations strategy was implemented by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)
and Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC). In addition, the
government increased the surveillance of cyberspace and social media, where
terrorists were discovered to be constructing their network.
The clearance operations resulted in the fatalities of
seventy-nine individuals and the arrests of over five hundred and twenty
individuals, thereby ensuring that the Holey Artisan tragedy wouldn’t be
repeated in the country. Since 2016, the number of terrorist attacks in
Bangladesh has decreased steadily, which can be attributed in large part to the
country’s unwavering commitment to the anti-terrorism struggle.
The government’s dedicated vigilance in addressing any security-related issues has contributed to the eradication of terrorism from its roots and helped Bangladesh to steadily perform well in the global arena.
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