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How Rising Radicalism in Bangladesh Fuels Instability, Poses Threats to India's Borders

© AP PhotoLawyers shout slogans during a protest over the killing of a colleague in a daylong violence yesterday over the arrest of a prominent minority Hindu leader, in Chattogram in southeastern Bangladesh, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024.
Lawyers shout slogans during a protest over the killing of a colleague in a daylong violence yesterday over the arrest of a prominent minority Hindu leader, in Chattogram in southeastern Bangladesh, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. - Sputnik India, 1920, 14.12.2024
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Bangladesh is in the midst of dramatic changes in both its polity and society after the forced exit of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from the country following a violent uprising against her 15-year rule.
Rising radicalism in Bangladesh would not only embolden extremist Islamic groups on both sides of the border in the Muslim-majority nation and neighbouring India but is also a readymade recipe for instability in the border regions of the world's largest democratic state, a former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) insurgent turned security expert has said.

"As someone who has operated within insurgent networks and later collaborated with India's Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), I understand the ground-level realities of threats posed by extremist Islamist groups in Bangladesh," Kagusthan Ariaratnam, who served in the LTTE as a child soldier before joining India's external spy agency R&AW as an informant, told Sputnik India.

The LTTE waged an armed struggle against the Sri Lankan military from 1983 to 2009 for the formation of an independent state for the Tamils in the tiny island nation's northeast region. It is widely regarded as one of the most feared militant organisations on the planet and is believed to be one of the first groups to use suicide bombers to carry out terrorist attacks, a tactic subsequently picked up by many militant outfits globally.

Interestingly, Ariaratnam's remarks come amid a wave of attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh that has drawn global attention and criticism, including from India.

After making repeated denials about reports of the persecution of Hindus in the country, the interim government spearheaded by Muhammad Yunus, finally admitted to at least 88 incidents of arson against members of the minority community that forms approximately 8 percent of the Bangladeshi population.

This marked U-turn in the Yunus administration's stance came after Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Dhaka earlier this week and urged the state authorities to ensure the safety of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.

The acts of arson and violence against Hindus are reportedly being perpetrated by hardline Islamist outfits like Jamaat-e-Islami* (JI) that were previously banned by the Sheikh Hasina-led government. However, Yunus lifted those sanctions after he was picked to lead Bangladesh after Hasina fled to India on August 5.

Ariaratnam believes that the rising influence of groups like Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh is deeply concerning, especially for religious minorities like Hindus, who often become scapegoats in the power struggles of extremist factions and these attacks not only undermine their safety but also threaten the region's stability.

"Having operated in insurgency-hit regions myself, I can tell you that a more radicalised Bangladesh would embolden groups on both sides of the border. This could result in increased infiltration, arms smuggling, and cross-border support for anti-India elements, particularly in the already fragile Northeast," the author of the best-selling book "Spy Tiger: The 05 File", added.

Radical Islam's spread also fuels recruitment and ideological indoctrination in the region, further destabilising the delicate balance India has worked to maintain. Countering this requires enhanced border security, proactive intelligence-sharing with regional allies, and investments in de-radicalisation initiatives in vulnerable areas, the strategic affairs commentator concluded.
Lawyers shout slogans during a protest over the killing of a colleague in a daylong violence yesterday over the arrest of a prominent minority Hindu leader, in Chattogram in southeastern Bangladesh, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. - Sputnik India, 1920, 28.11.2024
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