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.

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 provides a broad-ranging analysis of the growth and impact of "political Islam" in Bangladesh, and reactions to it. Grounded in empirical data, experts examine the changing character of Bangladeshi politics since 1971, with particular focus on the convergence of governance, Islamism and militancy. It is a timely, incisive and original examination of the rise of political Islam and Islamic militancy in Bangladesh.

The Palgrave Handbook of Global Counterterrorism Policy examines a comprehensive range of counterterrorism policies, strategies, and practices across dozens of states and actors around the world. It covers the topics of terrorism and counterterrorism both thematically and by region, allowing for discussions about the underpinning dynamics of these fields, consideration of how terrorism and counterterrorism are evolving in the modern period, and in-depth analyses of individual states and non-state actors, and their approaches to countering terrorism and terrorist threats. It draws upon a multidisciplinary range of established scholars and upcoming new researchers from across multiple fields including political science and international relations, sociology, and history, examining both theory and practice in their respective chapters. This volume is an essential resource for scholars and practitioners alike.

Includes papers presented at a seminar organized by the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, 23-24 December, 2006.

This book examines the intersection between national and international counter-terrorism policies and civil society in numerous national and regional contexts. The 9/11 terrorist attacks against the United States in 2001 led to new waves of scholarship on the proliferation of terrorism and efforts to combat international terrorist groups, organizations, and networks. Civil society organisations have been accused of serving as ideological grounds for the recruitment of potential terrorists and a channel for terrorist financing. Consequently, states around the world have established new ranges of counter-terrorism measures that target the operations of civil society organisations exclusively. Security practices by states have become a common trend and have assisted in the establishment of ‘best practices’ among non-liberal democratic or authoritarian states, and are deeply entrenched in their security infrastructures. In developing or newly democratized states - those deemed democratically weak or fragile - these exceptional securities measures are used as a cover for repressing opposition groups, considered by these states as threats to their national security and political power apparatuses. This timely volume provides a detailed examination of the interplay of counter-terrorism and civil society, offering a critical discussion of the enforcement of global security measures by governments around the world.