DOCSLIB.ORG

The Geopolitics of Political Islam in Bangladesh

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Geopolitics of Political Islam in Bangladesh Geopolitics of Political Islam in Bangladesh Author Hasan, Mubashar Published 2012 Journal Title Harvard Asia Quarterly Copyright Statement © 2012 Harvard University Asia Center. The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal's website for access to the definitive, published version. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/47246 Link to published version http://www.asiaquarterly.com Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au the GEOPOLITICS OF POLITICAL ISLAM IN BANGLADESH MUBASHAR HASAN · GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY ABSTRACT Sharia law in the country by denouncing secular political forces.2 The military interest in civil politics is hardly new This article traces the historical root of a failed in Bangladesh, as military rule, either direct or indirect, military coup, undertaken by a few Islamists in an attempt has been in place for sixteen of Bangladesh’s forty years as to overthrow the present secular government of Bangladesh an independent country (1975-1990 and 2006-2008). To in 2012. This article argues that the root for secular-Islamist date, however, the military had never held a press conference conflict in Bangladesh is closely connected to geopolitical about a failed coup. For the first time, a support base of events such as the Cold War and the Yom Kippur War, when Islamists within the military was publicly acknowledged, and military rulers of the state systematically promoted Islamic at the same time, the military reaffirmed its commitment to culture and values in the public discourse to legitimize their democracy. own regimes. This paper traces the historical root of this failed military coup and finds that the Islamization of Bangladesh’s INTRODUCTION secular political discourse is closely connected to geopolitical events that took place from 1975 through the 1990s. The On January 19, 2012, at a press conference held in the reason behind choosing this specific time frame is two-fold: capital city of Dhaka, the Bangladeshi military announced a) Bangladesh was under military control during this period that it foiled a military coup, attempted by retired and serving officers, intent on toppling the present secular government of lodge Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” Daily Mail Online, January 20, 2012, accessed January 25, 2012, http:// the Awamileague (AL), as headed by Prime Minister Sheikh www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2089136/ Hasina.1 The aim of the failed military coup was to install Sheikh-Hasina-India-tip-foils-coup-dislodge-Bangladesh- Prime-Minister.html. 1 Dipanjan Roy Chowdhury, “India tip-off foils coup to dis- 2 Ibid. The above picture, kindly provided by Abir Abdullah, shows a mass gathering in Biswa Ijtema in January 2012. 60 HARVARD ASIA QUARTERLY | The Geopolitics of Political Islam in Bangladesh The Geopolitics of Political Islam in Bangladesh | HARVARD ASIA QUARTERLY 61 and b) though political Islam had flourished in Bangladesh BANGLADESH: AN OvervieW after the 1990s, equally significant to this time period were the Cold War and the Yom Kippur War, during which In terms of countries with a majority Muslim foreign governments fueled Islamization in Bangladesh. population, Bangladesh is the third largest Muslim country The present failed coup, therefore, can be read as a result of in the world. During the British colonial period, from 1757 political decisions taken in the past by Bangladeshi regimes in to 1947, Bangladesh was part of the Indian subcontinent and regard to foreign policy and geopolitics. known as East Bengal; in the post-colonial period, from 1947 I have two propositions in this paper. First, I argue to 1971, it was part of Pakistan and known as East Pakistan. that the Yom Kippur War in the early 1970s had a profound Bangladesh has emerged as an independent country based impact on Bangladesh, specifically in terms of the promotion on the “secular-nationalist” principle, following a bloody of systematic Islamic cultural values in the national discourse. nine-month long war with Pakistan in 1971. Economically, The second proposition argues that the Taliban’s Holy Jihad Bangladesh is among the world’s poorest nations with a per against the Soviets, against the backdrop of the Soviet invasion capita income of $520.4 According to the website of the of Afghanistan in the late 1970s, had a strong influence on Bangladeshi government, “it has a population of 140 million, the growth of Bangladeshi Islamists, who later captured where 88% of the people are Muslims and over 98% of the significant power within the Islamized political discourse. people speak Bangla.”5 Upon gaining independence in 1971, The central hypothesis of this paper, therefore, argues that the Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh adopted the Westminster the 2012 failed military coup is the outcome of Bangladesh’s model of Parliamentary democracy.6 The President of Islamization process as initiated by two Military juntas – Bangladesh is chief of the state, and the Prime Minister head Ziaur Rahman and Hussein Muhammad Ershad – and that of the Government. The present legal and judicial system of this Islamization process is the result of Bangladesh’s foreign Bangladesh owes its origin to two hundred years of British policy shift, as influenced by geopolitical events such as the rule in the Indian subcontinent, although some elements are Yom Kippur and Cold Wars. This paper further finds that the remnants of the Pre-British period tracing back to Hindu and literature on the history of Islam and politics in Bangladesh, Muslim rule.7 specifically with respect to geopolitics and its relation to The country has a troubled past of military intervention foreign policy, remains unexplored and understudied. The in civil politics. Of the country’s forty years of existence as hypothesis of this paper, however, is nonetheless developed an independent country, military juntas have either directly upon existing literatures. or indirectly ruled the country for more than sixteen years With a succinct overview of Bangladesh, this paper (1975-1990 and 2006-2008). In terms of political parties, presents the process of Islamization in Bangladesh through a total of thirty-two parties are currently registered in the the lense of the military regimes of 1975 to 1990. Next, I Bangladesh Election Commission (EC). However, the analyze the impact of Islamization in Bangladeshi society, politics of Bangladesh is dominated by two parties – the culture, and politics. In the final section, I construct the Awami League (AL) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party central hypothesis of this paper with historical evidence.3 (BNP).8 The largest Islamist party, the Bangladesh Jamaat e Islami (BJI) said to be the third most influential party. The BNP is now heading a right-leaning eighteen-party electoral alliance, which encompasses most Islamist parties, including 3 For the purpose of clarity, I will define the terms “geopoli- tics,” “political Islam,” “Islamization,” and “Islamist” as fol- 4 “Country Profile of Bangladesh,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs lows: Dhaka, accessed February 1, 2012, http://www.mofa.gov.bd/ Geopolitics: The impact of world affairs not taking place in index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Item Bangladesh on the national politics of Bangladesh. id=54. Political Islam: The political movements surrounding the 5 Ibid. development of ideology and the setting of political goals 6 M. Moniruzzaman, “Parliamentary Democracy in Bangla- rooted in a literal analysis of 7th-century sources core to Is- desh: An Evaluation of the Parliament during 1991–2006,” lam, including the Quran, the prophetic traditions of Muham- Commonwealth & Comparative Politics 47 (2009): 1. mad, and the prophetic sayings preserved in the Hadith. 7 “About Bangladesh,” Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamen- Islamization: The cultural expansion of Arab and Persian tary Affairs, Dhaka, accessed February 1, 2012, http://www. civilization. minlaw.gov.bd/aboutbangladesh.htm. Islamist: The political movement and the people contributing 8 Ali Riaz, Islamist Militancy in Bangladesh: A Complex Web to and participating in the political efforts of political Islam. (USA and Canada: Routledge, 2008), 28. Mubashar Hasan is a political analyst on Bangladesh who is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at the School of Government and International Relations at Griffith University in Australia. Previously, he worked for eight years as a journalist, news pro- ducer, and media and communications specialist for BBC News, the Economist, IRIN News, bdnews24.com, and Oxfam in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom. His columns on Bangladeshi politics and society are published by UK-based opendemocracy.net and the Daily Star, Bangladesh’s top English newspaper. He is the author of Politics of Global Civil Aviation and has published in South Asia Research, Journal of Asian and African Studies, and Journal of Globalization Studies. He can be reached at [email protected]. 60 HARVARD ASIA QUARTERLY | The Geopolitics of Political Islam in Bangladesh The Geopolitics of Political Islam in Bangladesh | HARVARD ASIA QUARTERLY 61 the BJI. Conversely, the secular AL is leading a fourteen-party BJI forever. grand alliance that includes the major left-leaning parties in However, this theory of Mujibism lacks any the country. Thus, a sharp polarization between the secular philosophical thesis.13 Moreover, three major controversial and the non-secular is vivid in
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Access-Controlled High-Speed Corridor Project, 129 Adib-Moghaddam, Arshin, 19–20 Agwani, M. S., 64 Ahl-I-Hadith Movement
    Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-08026-3 - Limits of Islamism: Jamaat-e-Islami in Contemporary India and Bangladesh Maidul Islam Index More information Index 335 Index Access-Controlled High-Speed Corridor ‘available’/‘availability,’ concept of, 10 Project, 129 Awami League, 175–179, 184, 187–188, Adib-Moghaddam, Arshin, 19–20 195, 199, 204, 212, 219, 226, 230–232 Agwani, M. S., 64 Azad, Maulana Abul Kalam, 105 Ahl-i-Hadith movement, 180 Azam, Ghulam, 176, 194, 208, 218, 221 , Ahmed, Akbar, 49 232, 247-248 Ahmed, Justice Shahabuddin, 218 Ahmed, Raisuddin, 146 Alhle-e-Hadees, 113 Baathist regime of Iraq, 18 Ali, Maulana Karamat, 181 Babri Masjid Action Committee, 108 Ali, Maulana Wilayet, 180 Babri mosque demolition, 106 Ali, Mawlana Inayat, 180 Bandung Conference, 31 Ali, Syed Ameer, 181 Bangladesh Ali, T. Arif, 135, 137, 144 altered status quo, politics of, 189 All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimin anti-Ershad movement, 176–177 (AIMIM), 108 anti-Indian sentiments in, 233–234 All India United Democratic Front Constitution of, 176 (AIUDF), 108 disinvestment of profit-making Al-Qaeda, 6–7, 51 ‘state-owned enterprises,’ 201 al-Rāwandī, Ibn, 17 failure of Left movement in, 178–179 al-Rāzī (Rhazes), Abu Bakr, 17 inclusion and exclusion, politics of, Al-Sadr, Moqtada, 30 188 American imperialism, 31, 120 Islam as a political symbol in, protests against, 106–107, 124–125 175–178 vs Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), 111 Islamic symbols in Bangladeshi Amin, Samir, 11–13, 29, 46, 55, 187–188 politics, 179 Ansari, M. A., 105 Islamist parties in, 204
    [Show full text]
  • Binary Framings, Islam and Struggle for Women's Empowerment In
    Feminist Dissent Binary Framings, Islam and Struggle for Women’s Empowerment in Bangladesh Sohela Nazneen* Address *Correspondence: [[email protected]] Abstract In this paper, I investigate how binary framings of women’s identity have influenced struggles for women’s rights and the interpretations of the relationship between Islam and women’s empowerment in Bangladesh. These binary framings position women at opposite ends by dividing them between ‘Muslim/religious/moral/authentic/traditional’ or ‘Bengali/ secular/immoral/Westernised/ modern’. I trace the particular genealogies of these binary constructs which emerged during specific historical junctures and are influenced by the shifts in regional and international Peer review: This article politics. Drawing on primary research with women in religious political has been subject to a double blind peer review parties and women’s movement actors and newspaper reports, I provide process an account of how binary framings have been used by the Islamist actors and the counter framings used by the feminists to make claims over the state. I show how these framings have influenced the politics of © Copyright: The Authors. This article is representation of gender equality concerns, and reflect on what this means issued under the terms of the Creative Commons for possibilities of women’s empowerment and strategies for resistance. Attribution Non- Commercial Share Alike License, which permits use and redistribution of the work provided that Keywords: Bangladesh, women’s empowerment, gender, Islam, Hefazat the original author and source are credited, the work is not used for commercial purposes and that any derivative works are madentroduction available under the same license terms.
    [Show full text]
  • A Critical Analysis of Political Ideology of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by Atiqur Rahman Mujahid
    DEBATING NATIONALISM IN BANGLADESH: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF POLITICAL IDEOLOGY OF SHEIKH MUJIBUR RAHMAN BY ATIQUR RAHMAN MUJAHID A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Human Sciences in History and Civilization Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Science International Islamic University Malaysia NOVEMBER 2018 ABSTRACT Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has been the central role player in the movement of Bangladeshi independence. His dominant role and presence has earned him the title “Father of the nation.” However, his political ideology has been debated intensely. Sheikh Mujib being the most towering figure in Bangladeshi politics, has been explained, claimed and counter claimed by political parties and intellectuals as a secular, a Bengali and a socialist or a mix of all. This thesis argues that such understanding about Sheikh Mujib is only partial, and is conditioned by two factors: firstly, looking at only half of Sheikh Mujib’s entire political career, that is post-1947 Sheikh Mujib in Pakistan politics; and secondly, looking at Sheikh Mujib in the context of independence movement alone as an anti-Pakistan politician. The thesis argues that the true political ideology of Sheikh Mujib should be constructed based on the context of nationalism-debate, political psychology and political trend that he inherited, oriented with and practiced in his entire political career spanning during the last two decades of British India and the first two decades of united Pakistan. In analyzing his entire political career the research found that Sheikh Mujib and his political ideology are embodiment of the spirit of independence and Muslim identity consciousness inherited from Wahhabi-Farayezi-Deobandi anti-British Islamic movements, modernist Aligarh movement, Muslim League and Pakistan movement.
    [Show full text]
  • Torture in Bangladesh 1971-2004
    TORTURE IN BANGLADESH 1971-2004 MAKING INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENTS A REALITY AND PROVIDING JUSTICE AND REPARATIONS TO VICTIMS AUGUST 2004 REALISED WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE EUROPEAN INITIATIVE FOR DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS The Redress Trust 87 Vauxhall Walk, 3rd Floor London, SE11 5HJ Tel: +44 (0)207 793 1777 Fax: +44(0)207 793 1719 Website: www.redress.org 1 TORTURE IN BANGLADESH 1971- 2004 INDEX I. INTRODUCTION ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 4 II. CONTEXT OF TORTURE IN BANGLADESH ................................ ................................ .. 5 A. POLITICAL HISTORY..............................................................................................................................5 B. TORTURE AND OTHER SERIOUS ABUSES COMMITTED IN THE COURSE OF THE 1971 WAR.....7 i. Violations attributed to Pakistani forces and “collaborators”..................................................................................................7 ii. Violations attributed to the Mukthi Bahini and Bengali civilians.............................................................................................8 C. THE PRACTICE OF TORTURE IN BANGLADESH FROM 1971-2004...................................................9 III. BANGLADESH’S OBLIGATIONS UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW AND IMPLEMENTATION IN DOMESTIC LAW ................................ ................................ .......... 13 A. INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS .........................................................................................................13
    [Show full text]
  • Bangladesh - Researched and Compiled by the Refugee Documentation Centre of Ireland on Friday 24 & Tuesday 28 October 2014
    Bangladesh - Researched and compiled by the Refugee Documentation Centre of Ireland on Friday 24 & Tuesday 28 October 2014 Information on Jamaat-e-Islami including: general information; treatment by Awami League; party leaders between 2010 & 2014 The Jamaat-e-Islami party in an undated document states: “Jamaat e Islami is not a conventional religious, political, social or cultural party only. Jamaat performs as a spiritual party as spiritual life is important in Islam. Jamaat performs in political arena because Islamic law can’t be implemented without political force. Jamaat concentrates upon social service and social reform as strong emphasis has been given on social service and social reform in Islam. In this sense, Jamaat- e- Islami is a complete Islamic movement” (Jamaat-e-Islami (Undated) About Us). This document also notes: “To be associated with Jamaat: Firstly fill up the form of associate member Regularly attend in weekly meeting for attaining Islamic knowledge and character Attentively read tafsir (explanation) of Quran and Hadith, Islamic literature and news papers. Practice according to what knowledge you have gained and take firm decision not to do anything against your conscience. Be the member of Jamaat to perform the duty of deen efficiently” (ibid). A repot issued in 2014 by the Hindu American Foundation notes: “Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) Bangladesh is an offshoot of the Jamaat organization that was founded in undivided India in 1941 by Maulana Abul Ala Mauddudi. Jamaat drew its inspiration from the Deobandi school of Islam, known for promoting religious extremism in several countries in the region, and modeled itself after the Muslim Brotherhood.1 Separate branches were subsequently established in both Pakistan and Bangladesh (then East Pakistan), also known as Jamaat-e-Islami, following India’s partition.
    [Show full text]
  • Volume X, Issue 1 February 2016 PERSPECTIVES on TERRORISM Volume 10, Issue 1
    ISSN 2334-3745 Volume X, Issue 1 February 2016 PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume 10, Issue 1 Table of Contents Welcome from the Editor 1 I. Articles Who are the Bangladeshi ‘Islamist Militants’? 2 by Ali Riaz Why is Contemporary Religious Terrorism Predominantly Linked to Islam? Four Possible Psychosocial Factors 19 by Joshua D. Wright How Dangerous Are Domestic Terror Plotters with Foreign Fighter Experience? The Case of Homegrown Jihadis in the US 32 by Christopher J. Wright The Nature of Nigeria’s Boko Haram War, 2010-2015: A Strategic Analysis 41 by James Adewunmi Falode II. Interview In Conversation with Morten Storm: A Double Agent’s Journey into the Global Jihad 53 Interviewed by Stefano Bonino III. Research Note If Publicity is the Oxygen of Terrorism – Why Do Terrorists Kill Journalists? 65 by François Lopez IV. Resources Counting Lives Lost – Monitoring Camera-Recorded Extrajudicial Executions by the “Islamic State” 78 by Judith Tinnes Bibliography: Northern Ireland Conflict (The Troubles) 83 Compiled and selected by Judith Tinnes V. Book Reviews Michael Morell. The Great War of our Time. The CIA’s Fight Against Terrorism, from Al Qa’ida to ISIS. New York: Twelve, 2015; 362 pp.; US $ 28.00. ISBN 978-1-4555-8566-3. 111 Reviewed by Brian Glyn Williams ISSN 2334-3745 i February 2016 PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume 10, Issue 1 Counterterrorism Bookshelf: Twenty New Publications on Israeli & Palestinian Issues 114 Reviewed by Joshua Sinai VI. Notes from the Editor TRI Award for Best PhD Thesis 2015: Deadline of 31 March 2016 for Submissions Approaching 126 About Perspectives on Terrorism 127 ISSN 2334-3745 ii February 2016 PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume 10, Issue 1 Welcome from the Editor Dear Reader, We are pleased to announce the release of Volume X, Issue 1 (February 2016) of Perspectives on Terrorism at www.terrorismanalysts.com.
    [Show full text]
  • Traditional Institutions As Tools of Political Islam in Bangladesh
    01_riaz_055072 (jk-t) 15/6/05 11:43 am Page 171 Traditional Institutions as Tools of Political Islam in Bangladesh Ali Riaz Illinois State University, USA ABSTRACT Since 1991, salish (village arbitration) and fatwa (religious edict) have become common features of Bangladesh society, especially in rural areas. Women and non-governmental development organizations (NGOs) have been subjected to fatwas delivered through a traditional social institution called salish. This article examines this phenomenon and its relationship to the rise of Islam as political ideology and increasing strengths of Islamist parties in Bangladesh. This article challenges existing interpretations that persecution of women through salish and fatwa is a reaction of the rural community against the modernization process; that fatwas represent an important tool in the backlash of traditional elites against the impoverished rural women; and that the actions of the rural mullahs do not have any political links. The article shows, with several case studies, that use of salish and fatwa as tools of subjection of women and development organizations reflect an effort to utilize traditional local institutions to further particular interpretations of behavior and of the rights of indi- viduals under Islam, and that this interpretation is intrinsically linked to the Islamists’ agenda. Keywords: Bangladesh; fatwa; political Islam Introduction Although the alarming rise of the militant Islamists in Bangladesh and their menacing acts in the rural areas have received international media attention in recent days (e.g. Griswold, 2005), the process began more than a decade ago. The policies of the authoritarian military regimes that ruled Bangladesh between 1975 and 1990, and the politics of expediency of the two major politi- cal parties – the Awami League (AL) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) – enabled the Islamists to emerge from the political wilderness to a legit- imate political force in the national arena (Riaz, 2003).
    [Show full text]
  • Free Ghulam Azam
    FREE GHULAM AZAM A briefing on the arrest and defence of former political leader and activist Professor Ghulam Azam www.ghulamazam.net @freeghulamazam facebook.com/FreeGhulamAzam On 11th January 2012, police arrested Ghulam Azam, a veteran including during his time democracy campaigner and former chief of one of the biggest as General Secretary Key Points opposition parties in Bangladesh. He faces trial by the self- of Dhaka University proclaimed ‘International Crimes Tribunal’, established by Student Union. l Ghulam Azam, a key political figure in the ruling Awami League government; purportedly created Bangladesh, was arrested on 11th to seek justice for crimes committed during Bangladesh’s However, unlike January 2012 bloody liberation struggle in 1971. Respected rights groups the Awami League l He rejects accusations of committing such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International as which led Bangladesh crimes against humanity during the well as the International Bar Association have cast doubt on into independence, 1971 independence struggle, and is the proceedings. Many see these actions as a step towards Ghulam Azam and willing to defend his name in a fair trial an authoritarian one-party state as existed soon after several other parties l Human rights groups have cast doubt independence. Ghulam Azam, aged 89, led the Jamaat-e-Islami were committed to on the legitimacy of the ‘International party during Bangladesh’s traumatic birth. the union of Pakistan Crimes Tribunal’, the government and felt that the appointed body that has called for Today he is accused of a number of crimes allegedly committed people of Bangladesh Ghulam Azam’s trial.
    [Show full text]
  • Islamization by Secular Ruling Parties: the Case of Bangladesh
    Politics and Religion, 12 (2019), 257–282 © Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association, 2018. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. doi:10.1017/S1755048318000573 1755-0483/19 Islamization by Secular Ruling Parties: The Case of Bangladesh Jasmin Lorch GIGA Institute of Middle East Studies (IMES), GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies Abstract: As of yet, Islamization by secular ruling parties has hardly been investigated in depth. To bridge this gap, the present article reviews the existing literature on Islamization, synthesizes the scattered existing theoretical insights on Islamization by secular actors and applies them to the case of Bangladesh. It argues that, especially when they act in conjunction, three main conditions can drive secular rulers to Islamize public policy: first, the rise of Islamist social movements; second, fierce political competition; and third, (semi-)authoritarian rule. Focusing on the current Awami League (AL) government, the article shows how these three factors have interacted to produce a top-down process of state-led Islamization in Bangladesh. In December 1971, Bangladesh was established as a secular state based on the country’s ethno-linguistic Bengali identity (e.g. Siddiqi 2011, 18), fol- lowing a war of independence against Pakistan in which between one and three million Bangladeshis were killed (Cordon 2007, 14). The Awami League (AL) that led the independence struggle is a secular party, whose constitution pledges “[t]o build a [s]ecular, democratic society and state-system imbued with the spirit of Liberation War” (AL constitu- tion).
    [Show full text]
  • Islamization by Secular Ruling Parties: the Case of Bangladesh Lorch, Jasmin
    www.ssoar.info Islamization by Secular Ruling Parties: The Case of Bangladesh Lorch, Jasmin Veröffentlichungsversion / Published Version Zeitschriftenartikel / journal article Zur Verfügung gestellt in Kooperation mit / provided in cooperation with: GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: Lorch, J. (2019). Islamization by Secular Ruling Parties: The Case of Bangladesh. Politics and Religion, 12(2), 257-282. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755048318000573 Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Dieser Text wird unter einer CC BY Lizenz (Namensnennung) zur This document is made available under a CC BY Licence Verfügung gestellt. Nähere Auskünfte zu den CC-Lizenzen finden (Attribution). For more Information see: Sie hier: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.de Diese Version ist zitierbar unter / This version is citable under: https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-62423-8 Politics and Religion, 12 (2019), 257–282 © Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association, 2018. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. doi:10.1017/S1755048318000573 1755-0483/19 Islamization by Secular Ruling Parties: The Case of Bangladesh Jasmin Lorch GIGA Institute of Middle East Studies (IMES), GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies Abstract: As of yet, Islamization by secular ruling parties has hardly been investigated in depth. To bridge this gap, the present article reviews the existing literature on Islamization, synthesizes the scattered existing theoretical insights on Islamization by secular actors and applies them to the case of Bangladesh.
    [Show full text]
  • Violent Extremism and Insurgency in Bangladesh: a Risk Assessment
    VIOLENT EXTREMISM AND INSURGENCY IN BANGLADESH: A RISK ASSESSMENT 18 JANUARY 2012 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Neil DeVotta and David Timberman, Management Systems International. VIOLENT EXTREMISM AND INSURGENCY IN BANGLADESH: A RISK ASSESSMENT Contracted under AID-OAA-TO-11-00051 Democracy and Governance and Peace and Security in Asia and the Middle East This paper was prepared by Neil DeVotta and David Timberman. Neil DeVotta holds a PhD in government and specializes in conflict and comparative politics of Southeast Asia. He is currently an Associate Professor at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. David Timberman is a political scientist with expertise in conflict, democracy and governance issues, and Southeast Asia. He is currently a Technical Director at Management Systems International. DISCLAIMER The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. CONTENTS Acronyms ........................................................................................................................i Map ............................................................................................................................... ii Executive Summary ..................................................................................................... iii I. Introduction ...............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Islamic Militancy in North East India by Jaideep Saikia
    ACDIS Occasional Paper Terror sans Frontiers: Islamic Militancy in North East India Jaideep Saikia Ford Fellow Program in Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Research of the Program in Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign July 2003 This publication is supported by a grant from the Ford Foundation and is produced by the Program in Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The University of Illinois is an equal opportunity/ affirmative action institution. ACDIS Publication Series: ACDIS Swords and Ploughshares is the quarterly bulletin of ACDIS and publishes scholarly articles for a general audience. The ACDIS Occasional Paper series is the principal publication to circulate the research and analytical results of faculty and students associated with ACDIS. The ACDIS Research Reports series publishes the results of grant and contract research. Publications of ACDIS are available upon request. For additional information consult the ACDIS home page on the World Wide Web at <http://www.acdis.uiuc.edu/>. Published 2003 by ACDIS//ACDIS SAI:1.2003 University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign 359 Armory Building, 505 E. Armory Ave. Champaign, IL 61820-6237 Series editor: Matthew A. Rosenstein Terror sans Frontiers Islamic Militancy in North East India Jaideep Saikia Ford Fellow With a Foreword by Lt. Gen. (Retd.) S.K. Sinha, PVSM, Governor of Jammu & Kashmir Program
    [Show full text]