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(Title of the Thesis)* THE MILITIA MOVEMENT IN BANGLADESH Ideology, Motivation, Mobilization, Organization, and Ritual by AMM Quamruzzaman A thesis submitted to the Department of Sociology in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Queen's University Kingston, Ontario, Canada May, 2010 Copyright © AMM Quamruzzaman 2010 Abstract In the post-9/11 world, Bangladesh has been identified as a new hub of the Al-Qaeda network in South Asia. Most of the contemporary national and international media reports, security documents, and even academic studies point to the fact that an Islamist movement is on the dramatic rise in Bangladesh in recent years. These reports and studies portray the Islamist movement as closely linked with terrorism and devoid of any historical roots and relations with other types of movement. Contrary to this view, this study argues that the Islamist movement is not an unprecedented phenomenon but historically linked with a broader militia movement which subsequently leads to the emergence of Bangladesh as a nation state in 1971. Since its inception, the nation state is dealing not only with the Islamist movement but also with two other types of militia movement almost simultaneously – the leftwing and the ethnic. Having identified these three types, this study defines the militia movement in terms of five analytical categories – ideology, motivation, mobilization, organization, and ritual – following Freilich and others. It analyzes the Bangladesh militia movement in terms of these five dimensions, providing historical-empirical data from both primary and secondary sources to show how the contemporary militias are carrying forward the legacy of their historical forerunners. This study concludes with policy recommendations on how informed decisions can be made to effectively deal with the militia issue. ii Acknowledgements My interest in comparative criminology begins when I took a course on Advanced Issues in Socio-Legal Studies during the winter of 2009. Since then, I have always tried to relate various criminological theories studied in the course with the socio-legal issues in Bangladesh, the country I have come from. I am indebted to Professor Stephen W. Baron, the instructor of the course, for the inspiration, insight and encouragement that he has provided to me to study a contemporary pressing issue in Bangladesh – the militia movement. I have also received insightful feedbacks, constructive suggestions, and encouraging comments from my thesis supervisor, Professor Rob Beamish. I was a Teaching Assistant of his course during the fall of 2008, which discussed on social movements, organization, ideology, and war among other topics. I have taken many ideas from his discussions and incorporated them into my thesis. With proper guidance and supervision from Professor Rob Beamish, I have completed my work on time. Thanks are not enough to express my gratitude to him. To collect the data for the study, I visited my field in Bangladesh. For this purpose, I received a partial financial support from the Blakely Family Student Initiatives Fund. I am grateful to the Blakely Family for this generous support. I am also thankful to Wendy Schuler, Joan Westenhaefer, and Michelle Ellis for their overall assistance. Finally, I acknowledge the contributions of my parents Mohd. Mowla Baksha and Shamsunnahar Begum, my wife Afroza Parvin, our beloved chilfren Cleon Aristo and Orion Alex, and the vibrant Bangladeshi community here in Kingston who have always provided me with much needed inspiration, mental support and understanding to complete my study successfully. iii Table of Contents Abstract...........................................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................iii Table of Contents ..........................................................................................................................iv List of Tables, Figures, Images .....................................................................................................v List of Acronyms...........................................................................................................................vi Chapter 1 Introduction..................................................................................................................1 Chapter 2 Literature Review ......................................................................................................34 Chapter 3 Militia Ideology ..........................................................................................................54 Chapter 4 Militia Motivation......................................................................................................91 Chapter 5 Resource Mobilization.............................................................................................125 Chapter 6 Militia Organization ................................................................................................153 Chapter 7 Militia Ritual ............................................................................................................179 Chapter 8 Conclusion ................................................................................................................196 Bibliography...............................................................................................................................213 Appendix A Major Militia Groups in Bangladesh......................................................................221 Appendix B JMB Leaflet 2005 ...................................................................................................228 iv List of Tables, Figures, Images Tables Table 1: Basic Data about Bangladesh ..........................................................................................92 Table 2: Quantities of arms and explosives recovered (April 2004 – December 2007) ..............122 Table 3: Ideology and other features of major militia groups in Bangladesh..............................221 Figures Figure 1: An analytical model of the militia movement ................................................................30 Figure 2: Map showing distance between West Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)...59 Figure 3: Map showing internal displacement in Bangladesh .....................................................101 Figure 4: Map of Bangladesh showing the locations of major rebellions (1947-2003)...............112 Images Image 1: Banners, festoons, and placards used in Hizb ut-Tahrir's demonstration in Dhaka......137 Image 2: A demonstration of the networks of influence in New York........................................148 Image 3: A public display of violence .........................................................................................188 Image 4: Training of SB militias in jungle warfare .....................................................................190 Image 5: Ceremonials of a public meeting ..................................................................................194 Image 6: JMB leaflet 2005...........................................................................................................228 v List of Acronyms AHAB Ahl-e Hadith Andolan (People of Hadith Movement) AL Awami League (Mass Peoples League) BAKSAL Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (Bangladesh Peasants, Industrial Workers, and Mass People's League) BDR Bangladesh Rifles BIISS Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies BJP Bharatiya Janata Party BNP Bangladesh Nationalist Party CCOMPOSA Coordination Committee of Maoist Parties and Organizations of South Asia CHT Chittagong Hill Tracts CID Criminal Investigation Department CUFL Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited DGFI Directorate General of Forces Intelligence EBR East Bengal Regiment EBWM East Bengal Workers' Movement EPR East Pakistan Rifles GMF Gono Mukti Fouz (People's Liberation Soldiers) GOB Government of Bangladesh HUJI Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (Movement for an Islamic Holy War) HWF Hill Women's Federation ICS Islami Chhatra Shibir (Islamic Student Camp) IOJ Islami Okiya Jote (United Islamic Front) ISI Inter Services Intelligence (Pakistan intelligence agency) JMB Jamaat-ul Mujahidin Bangladesh (Party of Mujahidin Bangladesh) JMJB Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (Awakened Muslim Masses of Bangladesh) JI Jamaat-e-Islam (Party of Islam) JSD Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (National Socialist Party) LWE Left-Wing Extremism NAP National Awami Party NBCP New Biplobi (Revolutionary) Communist Party vi NSCN National Socialist Council of Nagaland NSI National Security Intelligence PBCP Purba Banglar Communist Party (Communist Party of East Bengal) PBSP Purba Bangla Sarbohara Party (East Bengal Proletarian Party) PCJSS Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (Chittagong Hill Tracts People's Solidarity Organization) PCP Pahari Chattra Parishad (Hill Students' Council) RAW Research and Analysis Wing (Indian intelligence agency) RCP Rangamati Communist Party RIHS Revival of Islamic Heritage Society RPF Rohingya Patriotic Front RSO Rohingya Solidarity Organization SATP South Asia Terrorism Portal SB Shanti Bahini (Peace Army) TJ Tablighi Jamaat (Proselytization Society) UAB Ulema Anjuman al-Baiyinaat (Clerics' Circle of Clear Understanding) ULFA United Liberation Front of Assam UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNICEF United Nations Children's
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