Pros and cons of the terror attacks

Pros and cons of the terror attacks

While tranquillity was enjoyed by the people with festive mood in the last week of September, sudden terror alert broke the silence and generated scepticism. But the decimated Harkat-ul-Jihad (Huji) followed by dismantled Jamaatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh’s (JMB) assertion to recuperate by organising through splinter groups like Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), Ansar al Islam, Hizb-ut-Towhid (HuT), Shaheed Hamza Brigade (SHB) failed to gain sufficient pace. Terror alert for impending attack by Islamist terrorists on Western interest could not be ignored totally but deemed implausible in the prevailing peaceful environment. It transpired that the prime accused of Bangkok bombing on Hindu shrine had stayed for two weeks at Dhaka before going at large. He might have chalked out an attack on western diplomats in conjunction with Islamic State affiliates in Bangladesh.
Western intelligences with greater capacity keep a close eye on the trends of the terrorist outfits including nature, leadership, tactics, patrons and objectives for which some had claimed that the attack information was real and credible. Killing of an Italian citizen in Gulshan, known to be an elite area of the capital, on October 28, turned out the prediction to be a reality, causing a sudden spark. The successive killing of another foreigner equally generated a jerky panic both at home and abroad. The SITE Intelligence group’s claim of the attacks by Islamic State (IS) and subsequent insistence on the veracity of the claim caused a confusion. Past instances and commercial characters of the organisation could not secure sufficient credence of their stance. Bomb hurled into a Shiite religious gathering marked the addition of a new dimension of the violence. Meanwhile both Islamic and Christian preachers along with bloggers and their publishers were targeted by unknown elements. While government was attempting to enhance security across the country in order to re-instil the confidence among people the police came under attack. Inability to protect themselves against sporadic and unexpected terror attacks raises the question of police force’s capacity to ensure public safety. Security professionals considered the blame as premature that lacks in depth understanding of the terrorism pattern and countering methodology.
Perpetrators who have been arrested or revealed so far are not IS affiliates but professional killers known to be employed by political personalities with Bangladesh Nationalist Party linkage and Jamaat-e-Islam (JeI) activists and splinters of the JMB. It leaves enough inferential as well as substantial signatures of hidden acts of terror across the country done by Jamaat-BNP for gaining political mileage. Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujaheed, the Secretary General of JeI, and Salahuddin Qader Chowdhury, a member of Advisory Council of BNP, are on the gallows for the crimes committed against humanity during Liberation War in 1971.
The main objective of JeI is centred on saving their leaders from hanging, putting full weight of its power. BNP has been shrunk to all time low for the faulty political strategy drawn out unilaterally by its Leader in exile. Cohorts and cronies of BNP have sufficiently been forced into making violence or transformed into terrorists. Unabated socio-economic progress through peaceful environment has put them into a ditch deep enough to bury the last political hope to reinvigorate.
A popular tsunami in favour of their political cause is unlikely to grow naturally. Coincided strategy of both the parties for survival has created an impulse to force social quakes through a carefully drawn out plan and skilful execution putting gravity on the terror and violence that seemed plausible. They believed (and still believe) in making an anarchic state conducive to replace Sheikh Hasina’s government even using means beyond constitution.
Although these low scale attacks are unlikely to bring about any significant impact on the government with enormous shock absorbing capacity. But induced fear has created a condition for raising a big cry for individual security from the state against attacks and in house criticisms are on the rise. Many feel that Hefajat-e-Islam (HeI) was given a political cushion for the comfort led to leniency towards Islamist terrorists. Western powers are on close scrutiny of the situation and a number of teams in the guise of journalists are making intense contacts with stakeholders to sense future impacts and identify the devotion of the players on their beliefs.
Law enforcing agencies are also accused if not of inactions but of slow actions. Internal pressure to root out unfriendly armed political force is increasing in multitude. People are demanding for a secured environment created through a skilful war applying a clear mix of hard and soft force permissible within democratic framework and norm.
Raising terror alert by a few countries followed by influencing to curtail sensitive visits had caused negative impact on the popular discourse and seen as laying weights to internal political force resorting to violence. Amnesty International’s foolish call for stopping the trial of war crimes and paving the way for trial of the freedom fighters instead has denuded its basic characters as a human right organisation. By seeing fierce reactions it has taken a step back from earlier stance.
BNP’s utterance of not standing by the killers as a party, in spite of own member’s involvement, was to express its good sense but lacked sincerity. Its assertion on the dialogue for establishing national consensus is an aspiration for political rejuvenation. Resignation of BNP’s Vice Chairman Mr Shamsher Mubeen Chowdhury is done with honest reasons but does not leave an impressive mark on BNP’s political discourse. Moreover, violent discourse is believed to be consequence of Jamaat-BNP’s hidden game playing. Desired popular dynamics is not even in sight rather vectors are in opposite direction.
Time taken for the judicial process to implicate perpetrators in continuing sporadic attack environment is perceived as allowing opportunity for JeI to turn the unturned stones for political mileage. A few members of the society with their usual skill and talent hovering on the point of lacking national consensus on the terror issue and democratic deficit aimed at creating a fresh scope for Awami League-BNP dialogue help political resurgence. A new popular impulse based on exaggerated fear syndrome is attempted to cause the revival of decimated religion-based politics. Without eliminating the roots of terror, its violent philosophy and philosophers, no political process would sustain.
Transparency International has released its distortedly drawn out research on the efficacy of the parliament on the lawmakers’ utterances of words, time spent on issues and attendance along with the role of opposition. Time chosen for such debate while the country is facing erratic terror attacks seemed to have been done with hidden motives which unfortunately coincide with the BNP-JeI assertion for regaining lost political space and preventing International Crimes Tribunal’s (ICT) proceedings. Many of the developing countries including Bangladesh are yet to overcome inherent limitations of developing democracies. Its highlight to sensitise political discourse cannot be an honest course.
Whether the government’s careful response is perceived as cautious or slow, dividends are reckoned to be forcing another crumble for the BNP-JeI political strategy. Domestic and international actors are seen to have taken a step back and attached extra caution in going forward. Newly accustomed cyberspace has brought about significant changes on the dimension of the freedom of expression for the people. Scope of ventilating the mind on public and political issues requires the participants’ prior consent to public demonstration to take place. If unconvinced of the public interest, people are not ready to spoil time for political cause enhancing public sufferings. Taking toll on innocent life and properties in the guise of mass rally and demonstration is negative and loses value as a political tool. All political strategy should be formulated keeping psychological impulse, stature and mood of the public to shape future successes. Obsolete thinking and traditional thoughts should be replaced with pragmatism and practicability.
Political strategy devoid of ideology is seen as deceitful discourse of power mongering. JeI has attempted to gain ground by monotheism, BNP with inconspicuous Bangladeshi nationalism along with upholding religion and Awami League nurturing the values of the Liberation War as moderate democrats.
BNP started journey with glittered gold of vaguely defined Bangladeshi nationalism and shared value of Islamic Faith with JeI. Monotheism of JeI has engulfed the value of Islamic faith and vagueness of Bangladeshi nationalism without historical foundation which has frittered away ideological foothold of BNP. Therefore they could not gain the confidence of the people, and past instances of corrupt fest peeping through the minds question the efficacy of future performance.
A violent political discourse devoid of ideological foundation and strategy drawn out without success mechanism should be abandoned for a skilfully chalked out long-term political strategy encompassing inspiring ideology. Present terror attacks are seemed to be part of a comprehensive plan entwined with domestic political agenda which is difficult to hide in the guise of global terrorism. A road to violence keeping masterminds lurking in the political arena is unlikely to produce a viable political alternative. Options there are many but certainly not killing innocent people. One must be able to differentiate between ruse and real threat. – See more at: http://www.observerbd.com/2015/11/11/120212.php#sthash.UhDQlRwy.NLo19CB9.dpuf