Bangladesh fares better than Pakistan in tackling Islamist extremism: think-tank

[VikingRaider]

Good lord, Hefajot e Awami League is shinning!

 

[Dalit]

An EU-accredited non-profit think tank has lauded Sheikh Hasina government’s “robust” handling of terrorism and religious extremism in Bangladesh while ripping into Pakistan, saying its Muslim-majority neighbour has "encouraged, sheltered and promoted extremists and terrorists".

The European Foundation for South Asian Studies or EFSAS in a commentary has shed lights on the rise of radical Islamist groups Hifazat-e Islam Bangladesh or HIB and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan or TLP in recent years, which has become the cause of a concern of the governments in the region.

Both organisations have proceeded against government decisions with violent and deadly protests.
In Bangladesh, a spree of arrests of top Hifazat leaders has prompted the organisation to dissolve its central committee in an apparent move to appease government anger after protests against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.

But in Pakistan, TLP succeeded in forcing the government to debate its cause in parliament after protests demanding the expulsion of the French ambassador for the publication of the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in France.

“It is evident that while Sheikh Hasina has been making noticeable progress in dealing with the radical Islamist HIB, Pakistan has floundered dramatically in its inconsistent, ill-considered and ill-implemented attempts to pacify the TLP,” EFSAS said in the Apr 23 commentary headlined, "Bangladesh and Pakistan: acting against extremism versus making a show of acting against extremism”.

When France was responding to the beheading of a teacher by a Muslim man for showing the Prophet Muhammad’s cartoons in a class in October last year, thousands took to the streets of Bangladesh and Pakistan in protests organised by Hifazat and TLP against French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments supporting liberal views on religion.

The protesters demanded the Muslim-majority countries cut ties with France and formally announce boycott of French products.

Citing a TLP spokesman, Reuters reported that the political party called off the protests on Nov 17 after Imran Khan’s government signed an agreement that it will officially endorse boycotting the French products.

At the same time in Bangladesh, the police thwarted thousands of Hifazat activists from marching towards and laying a siege to the French embassy in Dhaka. The protests later wore off.

But TLP did not let go. Earlier this month, Pakistan banned the party declaring it a terrorist outfit after the killing of at least four police officers in clashes. At least 11 officers were at one point taken hostage.

Finally Pakistan’s government caved in and its parliament last week began debates on a resolution calling for the expulsion of France’s ambassador.

France had to advise its citizens to temporarily leave Pakistan and warned of serious threats to French interests in the country at the time.

“The resolution proposed by the government illustrates how deeply unsettled Prime Minister Imran Khan’s administration feels amid a reeling economy, a new wave of coronavirus infections and spreading social unrest. It also suggests the party, Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan, which has capitalized on public anger over the publication of caricatures depicting the Prophet Muhammad in France, could pose a major threat to Pakistan’s stability,” The New York Times reported.

The protests intensified after the government arrested Saad Hussain Rizvi, the party’s 26-year old leader, in a preemptive move to scuttle his calls for large gatherings.

The TLP draws its support from the Barelvi school of Islam, to which a majority of Pakistanis belong.

Hifazat in Bangladesh is based on Qawmi madrasas that give lessons on the basis of the principles of Deoband school of Islam, based at Darul Uloom Deoband madrasa in India.

“Hifazat-e Islam launches programmes now. Don’t they go to Deoband for education? How do they go to Deoband if they carry out such incidents? Have they thought about it?” Hasina asked in parliament after the violence during anti-Modi protests by the end of March.

The protesters objected to Hindu nationalist Modi joining the celebrations of 50 years of Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan and the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who founded the nation with a vision of non-communalism.

The government headed by his daughter Hasina seemingly resorted to playing patience during the celebrations and simultaneous violent protests apparently to avoid more embarrassment.

Finally, the law enforcers launched a crackdown on Hifazat, arresting its top leaders and supporters for the violence.

Hifazat leader Mamunul Haque, who had threatened to tear down Bangabandhu’s statues claiming they are forbidden in Islam, is now facing grilling in police custody over a raft of cases.

The police are trying to establish Mamunul’s links with Pakistani terrorists and a political party, possibly the TLP, from information he revealed in interrogation and those found in investigation.

The extremist leaders want to turn Bangladesh into a country like Pakistan or Afghanistan by establishing Hifazat as a group like Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Labbaik, said Mahbub Alam, a joint commissioner of the police’s Detective Branch.

Mamunul and his brother-in-law Maulana Mufti Neamat Ullah had travelled to Pakistan in 2005 and contacted militant and political groups during a 45-day stay there, said Harunor Rashid, a deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Neamat had also been arrested over the Aug 21, 2004 grenade attack on an Awami League that targeted Hasina, but later walked free, according to the DC of DMP.

Despite Hifazat being a so-called apolitical group, Mamunul “has political ambitions”, said Harunor. “He had been thinking about grabbing power with the help of (Jamaat-e-Islami).” Mamunul is also the acting secretary general of political party the Khelafat Majlish.

In the wake of the arrests of a number of Hifazat leaders, some of whom are also leaders of Khelafat, Hifazat dissolved its central committee on Apr 25.

The education board overseeing the Qawmi madrasas announced a ban on politics by the students and teachers of the institutions the same day in an apparent bid to distance themselves from accusations that Hifazat tried to grab state power despite being an “apolitical” group. Hifazat leaders are often accused of using innocent young students in violent protests.

Its chief Junaid Babunagari, who had strongly supported Mamunul, however, has remained the Amir of a new five-strong convening committee with his uncle Muhibullah Babunagari as the convener, leaving questions about whether they will shun the same path the TLP is forcing Pakistan into.

The EFSAS commentary highlighted the stark contrast in “the attitudes and the policies that the two Muslim-majority countries have chosen to adopt vis-à-vis terrorism and extremism”.

“Bangladesh, without doubt, has had periods in its 50-year existence when it encouraged, sheltered and promoted extremists and terrorists. That is especially true of the earlier phase, when remnants of Pakistani influence lingered.
“However, the past decade under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina has seen the country pursue a robust and consistent anti-terror regime. Pakistan, on the other hand, has displayed a dogged and persistent determination to remain closely engaged and aligned with terrorists and extremists of various hues.

“Events over the past week have brought the widely divergent attitudes of the two countries to the fore, and these events need to serve as a reminder to the civilised world that their anti-terror focus and pressure on Pakistan must not cease.”
The Amsterdam-based policy research institution seems confident that the Hasina government can tackle the situation from here.

“Bangladesh under Sheikh Hasina genuinely wants to counter terrorism and extremism and therefore succeeds most of the time in doing so. Pakistan, in contrast, almost always seeks to hedge its bets. It is more keen on giving the impression that it is acting against the twin menaces, while what it actually does is dabble in the same dangerous pastimes that the extremists and terrorists do, more often than not together with them, hand in glove.

“Pakistan, consequently, lacks the moral conviction and authority to fearlessly counteract terrorists and extremists, something,” concludes EFSAS, effusively, “that Sheikh Hasina’s genuineness of purpose empowers her in ample measure to do with great efficacy.”

Bangladesh fares better than Pakistan in tackling Islamist extremism: think-tank

An EU-accredited non-profit think tank has lauded Sheikh Hasina government’s “robust” handling of terrorism and religious extremism in Bangladesh while ripping into Pakistan, saying its Muslim-majority neighbour has "encouraged, sheltered and promoted extremists and terrorists".

bdnews24.com

Bangladesh and Pakistan: acting against extremism versus making a show of acting against extremism

www.efsas.org

LOL efsas. Indian sponsored crap.

 

[CatSultan]

Because the police shoots anyone who disagrees with the government

 

[fitpOsitive]

An EU-accredited non-profit think tank has lauded Sheikh Hasina government’s “robust” handling of terrorism and religious extremism in Bangladesh while ripping into Pakistan, saying its Muslim-majority neighbour has "encouraged, sheltered and promoted extremists and terrorists".

The European Foundation for South Asian Studies or EFSAS in a commentary has shed lights on the rise of radical Islamist groups Hifazat-e Islam Bangladesh or HIB and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan or TLP in recent years, which has become the cause of a concern of the governments in the region.

Both organisations have proceeded against government decisions with violent and deadly protests.
In Bangladesh, a spree of arrests of top Hifazat leaders has prompted the organisation to dissolve its central committee in an apparent move to appease government anger after protests against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.

But in Pakistan, TLP succeeded in forcing the government to debate its cause in parliament after protests demanding the expulsion of the French ambassador for the publication of the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in France.

“It is evident that while Sheikh Hasina has been making noticeable progress in dealing with the radical Islamist HIB, Pakistan has floundered dramatically in its inconsistent, ill-considered and ill-implemented attempts to pacify the TLP,” EFSAS said in the Apr 23 commentary headlined, "Bangladesh and Pakistan: acting against extremism versus making a show of acting against extremism”.

When France was responding to the beheading of a teacher by a Muslim man for showing the Prophet Muhammad’s cartoons in a class in October last year, thousands took to the streets of Bangladesh and Pakistan in protests organised by Hifazat and TLP against French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments supporting liberal views on religion.

The protesters demanded the Muslim-majority countries cut ties with France and formally announce boycott of French products.

Citing a TLP spokesman, Reuters reported that the political party called off the protests on Nov 17 after Imran Khan’s government signed an agreement that it will officially endorse boycotting the French products.

At the same time in Bangladesh, the police thwarted thousands of Hifazat activists from marching towards and laying a siege to the French embassy in Dhaka. The protests later wore off.

But TLP did not let go. Earlier this month, Pakistan banned the party declaring it a terrorist outfit after the killing of at least four police officers in clashes. At least 11 officers were at one point taken hostage.

Finally Pakistan’s government caved in and its parliament last week began debates on a resolution calling for the expulsion of France’s ambassador.

France had to advise its citizens to temporarily leave Pakistan and warned of serious threats to French interests in the country at the time.

“The resolution proposed by the government illustrates how deeply unsettled Prime Minister Imran Khan’s administration feels amid a reeling economy, a new wave of coronavirus infections and spreading social unrest. It also suggests the party, Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan, which has capitalized on public anger over the publication of caricatures depicting the Prophet Muhammad in France, could pose a major threat to Pakistan’s stability,” The New York Times reported.

The protests intensified after the government arrested Saad Hussain Rizvi, the party’s 26-year old leader, in a preemptive move to scuttle his calls for large gatherings.

The TLP draws its support from the Barelvi school of Islam, to which a majority of Pakistanis belong.

Hifazat in Bangladesh is based on Qawmi madrasas that give lessons on the basis of the principles of Deoband school of Islam, based at Darul Uloom Deoband madrasa in India.

“Hifazat-e Islam launches programmes now. Don’t they go to Deoband for education? How do they go to Deoband if they carry out such incidents? Have they thought about it?” Hasina asked in parliament after the violence during anti-Modi protests by the end of March.

The protesters objected to Hindu nationalist Modi joining the celebrations of 50 years of Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan and the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who founded the nation with a vision of non-communalism.

The government headed by his daughter Hasina seemingly resorted to playing patience during the celebrations and simultaneous violent protests apparently to avoid more embarrassment.

Finally, the law enforcers launched a crackdown on Hifazat, arresting its top leaders and supporters for the violence.

Hifazat leader Mamunul Haque, who had threatened to tear down Bangabandhu’s statues claiming they are forbidden in Islam, is now facing grilling in police custody over a raft of cases.

The police are trying to establish Mamunul’s links with Pakistani terrorists and a political party, possibly the TLP, from information he revealed in interrogation and those found in investigation.

The extremist leaders want to turn Bangladesh into a country like Pakistan or Afghanistan by establishing Hifazat as a group like Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Labbaik, said Mahbub Alam, a joint commissioner of the police’s Detective Branch.

Mamunul and his brother-in-law Maulana Mufti Neamat Ullah had travelled to Pakistan in 2005 and contacted militant and political groups during a 45-day stay there, said Harunor Rashid, a deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Neamat had also been arrested over the Aug 21, 2004 grenade attack on an Awami League that targeted Hasina, but later walked free, according to the DC of DMP.

Despite Hifazat being a so-called apolitical group, Mamunul “has political ambitions”, said Harunor. “He had been thinking about grabbing power with the help of (Jamaat-e-Islami).” Mamunul is also the acting secretary general of political party the Khelafat Majlish.

In the wake of the arrests of a number of Hifazat leaders, some of whom are also leaders of Khelafat, Hifazat dissolved its central committee on Apr 25.

The education board overseeing the Qawmi madrasas announced a ban on politics by the students and teachers of the institutions the same day in an apparent bid to distance themselves from accusations that Hifazat tried to grab state power despite being an “apolitical” group. Hifazat leaders are often accused of using innocent young students in violent protests.

Its chief Junaid Babunagari, who had strongly supported Mamunul, however, has remained the Amir of a new five-strong convening committee with his uncle Muhibullah Babunagari as the convener, leaving questions about whether they will shun the same path the TLP is forcing Pakistan into.

The EFSAS commentary highlighted the stark contrast in “the attitudes and the policies that the two Muslim-majority countries have chosen to adopt vis-à-vis terrorism and extremism”.

“Bangladesh, without doubt, has had periods in its 50-year existence when it encouraged, sheltered and promoted extremists and terrorists. That is especially true of the earlier phase, when remnants of Pakistani influence lingered.
“However, the past decade under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina has seen the country pursue a robust and consistent anti-terror regime. Pakistan, on the other hand, has displayed a dogged and persistent determination to remain closely engaged and aligned with terrorists and extremists of various hues.

“Events over the past week have brought the widely divergent attitudes of the two countries to the fore, and these events need to serve as a reminder to the civilised world that their anti-terror focus and pressure on Pakistan must not cease.”
The Amsterdam-based policy research institution seems confident that the Hasina government can tackle the situation from here.

“Bangladesh under Sheikh Hasina genuinely wants to counter terrorism and extremism and therefore succeeds most of the time in doing so. Pakistan, in contrast, almost always seeks to hedge its bets. It is more keen on giving the impression that it is acting against the twin menaces, while what it actually does is dabble in the same dangerous pastimes that the extremists and terrorists do, more often than not together with them, hand in glove.

“Pakistan, consequently, lacks the moral conviction and authority to fearlessly counteract terrorists and extremists, something,” concludes EFSAS, effusively, “that Sheikh Hasina’s genuineness of purpose empowers her in ample measure to do with great efficacy.”

Bangladesh fares better than Pakistan in tackling Islamist extremism: think-tank

An EU-accredited non-profit think tank has lauded Sheikh Hasina government’s “robust” handling of terrorism and religious extremism in Bangladesh while ripping into Pakistan, saying its Muslim-majority neighbour has "encouraged, sheltered and promoted extremists and terrorists".

bdnews24.com

Bangladesh and Pakistan: acting against extremism versus making a show of acting against extremism

www.efsas.org

Bangladesh is somewhere in a corner, where even sun light hardly see it.
And Pakistan is here, in front of cannons of all sort of terrors.
Bangladesh can't stand a month in the face of threats we face of daily basis.

And we are sick of this comparison with Bangladesh. If Bangladesh is so capable then take security responsibilities in Afghanistan.

 

[The Ronin]

As amply displayed by the crushing of a rabid cross border armed insurgency through a two decades long war, billions of dollars spent, and tens of thousands of lives sacrificed by Pakistan. Good thing Bangladesh quelled some Mullahs and showed us how to do it.

I believe you're talking about fight against terrorism while topic is Islamist extremism. Two are very closely related but different. Even in that sector BD is doing best in South Asia without decades long war, expense of billion dollars and sacrifices.

Global index: Bangladesh tackles terrorism best in South Asia

However, Bangladesh is the most successful South Asian country in countering terrorism

www.dhakatribune.com

https://visionofhumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/GTI-2020-web-1.pdf

Pakistan hotel bomb: Deadly blast hits luxury venue in Quetta

The Pakistani Taliban says it is behind the blast in Quetta, which killed five people and wounded 12.

www.bbc.com

Yes, the "European" Foundation for South Asian Studies made and run by a Mr. Junaid Qureshi.

Still not our news media.

my friend some of the world index from same EU crying since ages that about BD since ages why your media did not publish them for example extreme poverty in pakistan vs BD ? your media and gov learnt from india hw to divert public attention and they are doing perfect . after india you find also pakistan to calm your public every other day .

why not news on some below points

Not relevant to the OP or previous reply at all. And many countries do that to divert public attention including Pakistan. Bangladesh doesn't need to learn that old practice from India. Like you said "every country have its own good and bad".

Those indexes you mentioned above, you are ahead of us in some, we are ahead of you in few, in few we are both same, in few there are little differences and some are not relevant/unnecessary for comparison. Happy? And since when we people from sub-continent stay calm?

so on and so on i have no time for such BS .

Looks like you do. You seem upset about the thread including some other Pakistani members.

To begin with, there is nothing like "Islamist extremism" to tackle. It all proxy wars.

Is it really the case all time? So telling people to treat women.........practically like a slave, vandalizing and burning minority, public properties, assaulting and abducting police officers etc in the name of Islam isn't extremism? Some literate/illiterate, headstrong people always exist to create chaos and rile up more ignorant idiots in the name of religion. They don't need any Western assistance or proxy wars to start a riot. And sometimes the assistance/funding comes from an internal/Muslim source.

BD do not have Afghanistan as a neighbour where CIA/RAW/MOSSAD

In reply to @krash above i wanted to say this when he was talking about Pakistan's effort in fighting against terrorism but when i remembered Laden's case and recent bombing targeted at Chinese diplomat i feel hesitant to give credit. I mean doesn't your effort and sacrifices become futile when you harbor a top terrorist organization's leader in your country or failing to give early warning or intelligence on terrorist attack intended for your closest ally?

I asked how Bangladesh define Mullah and terrorism.

Mullah (bad ones):- Screams about extremism.
Terrorist:- Goes KABOOM in the name of extremism.

 

[Taimoor Khan]

Is it really the case all time? So telling people to treat women.........practically like a slave, vandalizing and burning minority, public properties, assaulting and abducting police officers etc in the name of Islam isn't extremism? Some literate/illiterate, headstrong people always exist to create chaos and rile up more ignorant idiots in the name of religion. They don't need any Western assistance or proxy wars to start a riot. And sometimes the assistance/funding comes from an internal/Muslim source.

Pakistan was safe at it has ever been when the so called "extremist" Taliban were ruling Afghanistan before 9/11. After their fall , and entrenching of all the "allied forces" in Afghanistan, we have lost 70k odd citizens in waves of terrorism unleashed from Afghan soil.

You Bengalis have no clue what has been happening and how the fifth generation warfare has been going on, because you are not on the receiving end of it, yet.

In reply to @krash above i wanted to say this when he was talking about Pakistan's effort in fighting against terrorism but when i remembered Laden's case and recent bombing targeted at Chinese diplomat i feel hesitant to give credit. I mean doesn't your effort and sacrifices become futile when you harbor a top terrorist organization's leader in your country or failing to give early warning or intelligence on terrorist attack intended for your closest ally?

Laden case! Wake up and smell the coffee!! Even last POTUS retweeted the information of how this whole thing was a bogus and scam to get Obama re-elected. As for Chinese diplomat, the attacker was an Afghan and came from Afghanistan. Do the math.

You Bengalis are neither naïve, stupid, or just trying to troll knowing the realties but not accepting them because it goes against your narratives.

 

[krash]

I believe you're talking about fight against terrorism while topic is Islamist extremism. Two are very closely related but different. Even in that sector BD is doing best in South Asia without decades long war, expense of billion dollars and sacrifices.

You clearly have not read the article.

Global index: Bangladesh tackles terrorism best in South Asia

However, Bangladesh is the most successful South Asian country in countering terrorism

www.dhakatribune.com

Yes, the Dhaka tribune which can't seem to understand what the 'Terrorism Index' represents.

https://visionofhumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/GTI-2020-web-1.pdf

Pakistan hotel bomb: Deadly blast hits luxury venue in Quetta

The Pakistani Taliban says it is behind the blast in Quetta, which killed five people and wounded 12.

www.bbc.com

And we are back to the original argument; Mighty unintelligent to compare a country which only has a hand full of Mullahs to contend with to a country winning a full-scale decades long war against a cross border armed insurgency supported and funded by multiple foreign forces, resulting from a war in the adjacent country which it did not instigate. To use it then to question the latter's resolve in fighting terrorism/extremism is just silly and purposefully dishonest. Given the state of Bangladesh's armed forces, a hypothetical 'TTB' would have overrun you in days.

Or we should all reach out to Botswana for their anti-terrorism expertise.

Still not our news media.

Still just as dishonest, silly, false, and 'not European'.

I mean doesn't your effort and sacrifices become futile when you harbor a top terrorist organization's leader in your country

Please present proof that we harbored Bin Laden. His foremost enemy thanked us when they killed him.

or failing to give early warning or intelligence on terrorist attack intended for your closest ally?

How do you think a war works?

 

[Michael Corleone]

why not news on some below points

corruption index
vehicles per capita
international air ports availability
domestic airports availability
airlines seats availability per capita
tallest buildings in country
power generation per capita
military force power index
roads network index
gas pipie line and supply index
Physicians density availability
dams by country
Health expenditures % of gdp
Maternal mortality rate
Where-to-be-born Index
freedom indices index
Population per km
rule of law Regulatory quality index
railway lines index
wealth distribution index
cost of living index
net migration per 1000 index
happiness index
daily fuel production
Education expenditures % of gdp
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
Natural Gas Production by Country

so on and so on i have no time for such BS . every country have its own good and bad .

Say no more

 

[Chakar The Great]

I have no doubt that Bangladesh has done better.


I see no point in comparing the two. Why do people from Bangladesh keep comparing with Pakistan? Just shows the sense of insecurity BDs have.

You need to grow up, you are independent country, Pakistanis in general couldn't care less about you.

 

[Imran Khan]

Say no more

there are so many kids make videos youtube is full of scrap

 

[Michael Corleone]

there are so many kids make videos youtube is full of scrap

Yeah this dude makes videos with source to back it up
You haven’t even watched the video lol

 

[airmarshal]

Dont make such stupid and out of context comparisons.

Bangladesh is not bordering Afghanistan which is at war for last four decades. Neither it borders with Iran which is under US sanctions since last four decades and has been source of Shia insurgency in Middle East for which it recruits Pakistanis. This is the same with Saudis who have invested heavily in Pakistan through their version of religion.

 

[fallstuff]

Well fundamentalism in Bangladesh and Pakistan pales in comparison to what is going on in India.
Indian majority is firmly behind it.
If there is an election next month Modi/BJP will win again even after this massive Corona Virus failure by the Modi Govt.