Throughout the South and Southeast Asian region, the involvement of women in jihadism has been a growing but poorly understood phenomenon. Against this backdrop, this book investigates why Bangladeshi women get involved in jihadist networks; what roles they play in them; and how the Bangladeshi government and security apparatus have reacted to female jihadism. In so doing, it also sheds light on the serious human rights violations that have occurred during Bangladeshi counterterrorism drives. Jasmin Lorch has researched and published extensively on political transformation, civil society, secular-Islamist relations, Islamism, and jihadism both in Bangladesh and beyond. She is the author of "Elite Capture, Civil Society and Democratic Backsliding in Bangladesh, Thailand and the Philippines", published in Democratization; of "Terrorism in Bangladesh: Understanding a Complex Phenomenon", published in Asian Survey; of "Female Terrorism in Bangladesh: Manifestations, Causes and Consequences" (with M Abul Kalam Azad) in The Politics of Terrorism and Counterterrorism, edited by Saimum Parvez and Mohammad Sajjadur Rahman and published by Routledge; of "Islamization by Secular Ruling Parties: The Case of Bangladesh", published in Politics and Religion; and of Civil Society and Mirror Images of Weak States: Bangladesh and the Philippines, published by Palgrave Macmillan. She conducted this present research on women and terrorism in Bangladesh under a freelance contract with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS). M Abul Kalam Azad is a researcher and journalist. He has written and published widely on politics, corruption, jihadism, and human rights violations in Bangladesh. Azad holds a postgraduate degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Dhaka. He also studied violent extremism at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University under a fellowship program. Azad is the author of "Media Landscapes: Bangladesh," published by the European Journalism Centre (EJC). He also co-authored "Female Terrorism in Bangladesh: Manifestation, Causes and Consequences" (with Jasmin Lorch) in The Politics of Terrorism and Counterterrorism in Bangladesh, edited by Saimum Parvez and Mohammad Sajjadur Rahman and published by Routledge. He is a 2023 Journalist-in-Residence fellow of the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECMPF).

This book examines contemporary issues and debates of terrorism in Bangladesh, including national and transnational terrorist outfits operating within the country, their narratives and counternarratives, ideologues, women and the youth, media representation, counterterrorism laws, and challenges. Bangladesh is a fascinating and often paradoxical case study for terrorism studies. The book examines major terrorist groups in contemporary Bangladesh and their international connections and narratives, as well as a case study of an influential ideologue who encouraged some Bangladeshis to engage in violence. The chapters discuss how women and youth play a role in Bangladeshi terrorism, how the internet is used for recruiting terrorists, the discourses of the media and state regarding terrorism, as well as the politics of law and counterterrorism initiatives, including critically evaluating non-state actors and government responses. In addition to providing an up-to-date analysis of terrorism and counterterrorism in Bangladesh, this book offers a balanced and unbiased perspective on this subject. It will appeal to academics and international policymakers who are researching violence and extremism in South Asia.

Papers presented at a training workshop of Forum on Women in Security and international Affairs held at Dhaka in 2001; sponsored by Bangladesh Freedom Foundation.

Extremist groups rely upon women to gain strategic advantage, recruiting them as facilitators and martyrs while also benefiting from their subjugation. Yet U.S. policymakers overlook the roles that women play in violent extremism--including as perpetrators, mitigators, and victims--and rarely enlist their participation in efforts to combat radicalization. This omission puts the United States at a disadvantage in its efforts to prevent terrorism globally and within its borders. Women fuel extremists' continued influence by advancing their ideology online and by indoctrinating their families. New technology allows for more sophisticated outreach, directly targeting messages to radicalize and recruit women. It also provides a platform on which female extremists thrive by expanding their recruitment reach and taking on greater operational roles in the virtual sphere. The failure of counterterrorist efforts to understand the ways in which women radicalize, support, and perpetrate violence cedes the benefit of their involvement to extremist groups. Omitting women from terrorism prevention efforts also forfeits their potential contributions as mitigators of extremism. Women are well positioned to detect early signs of radicalization, because fundamentalists often target women's rights first. As security officials, women provide insights and information that can be mission critical in keeping the peace. And because of their distinctive access and influence, women are crucial antiterrorism messengers in schools, religious institutions, social environments, and local government. Overlooking the contributions women can make to prevent extremism renders the United States less secure. Many extremist groups promote an ideology that classifies women as second-class citizens and offers strategic and financial benefits through women's subjugation. Boko Haram, the Islamic State, al-Qaeda, al-Shabab, and other groups use sexual violence to terrorize populations into compliance, displace civilians from strategic areas, enforce unit cohesion among fighters, and even generate revenue through trafficking. Suppressing women's rights also allows extremists to control reproduction and harness female labor. U.S. government policy and programs continue to underestimate the important roles women can play as perpetrators, mitigators, or targets of violent extremism. The Donald J. Trump administration should take steps to help the United States and its allies respond effectively to the security threat posed by violent extremism and advance U.S. peace and stability.

Terrorism, Gender and Women: Towards an Integrated Research Agenda encourages greater integration of gender-sensitive approaches to studies of violent extremism and terrorism. This book seeks to create and inspire a dialogue among scholars of conflict, terrorism and gender by suggesting the necessity of incorporating gender analysis to fill gaps within, and further enhance, our understanding of political violence. The chapters featured in the book interrogate how recent developments in the field– such as the proliferation of propaganda and online messaging, the "decline" or shifting presence of ISIS, the continued "rise" of far-right extremism, and the changing roles of women in political violence – necessitate a gendered understanding of radicalisation, participation, and of strategies to counter and prevent both violent extremism and terrorism. Taken together, they encourage a discussion of new ways in understanding how women and men can be affected by terrorism and violent extremism differently, and how involvement can often be influenced by highly gendered experiences and considerations. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the journal, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism.

Female terrorists are a rare phenomenon. Less than ten terrorist organizations throughout the world have women members. These terrorist groups are either Marxist (atheist) or Jihadist in their ideologies. Sexual Jihad: The Role of Islam in Female Terrorism ascertains, “What is the role of Islam in female terrorism?” It explores the roles of women in eight jihadist case studies including: Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Boko Haram, the Chechen Separatists, HAMAS, Hezbollah, ISIS, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, and Al Qaeda. Primary sources and secondary sources are used, including research conducted on Palestinian women in Israeli prisons who have been convicted of terrorism. It is argued that are three roles for women in Jihadist terrorism: the disposable, the domestic, and the secretary. The theory posited in this book is that the roles of women in terrorist groups are similar to their cultural/religious roles in society.