The Daily Star, May 16, 2009
THE World Bank Country Director recently forwarded to the government a report that is interesting in the context of Islamic militancy in Bangladesh in reality. In the last few months, the media has published series of reports and news items, many based on statements of Ministers that would suggest that Bangladesh is in imminent threat from Islamic militancy. At the time the intelligence agencies discovered a huge arsenal of arms and ammunition in a remote village in Barisal and linked it to a Bangladesh born British national. Some concluded that the Qaumi Madrassas (QM) were hotbeds of Islamic militancy. The WB report contradicts most of these allegations.
In a seminar in BILIA, a government sponsored think tank, the alleged link between QM and Islamic terrorism was blown out of proportion. Its Director quoted from a research in which the WB report found too many potholes. The Director had said that from 2001-2006 or during the BNP government, 35% of Army soldiers were recruited from QM against 5% before 2001 elections. The other dangerous element of his statement was his conclusion that the majority of madrassa educated soldiers “are involved with militancy.” The research paper that the BILIA Director quoted also mentioned that QM curricula are designed to prepare students for army entrance exams.
The WB report has trashed the all hitherto published news reports on QM; in particular the research paper that the BILIA Director has quoted. The Report said the QM is “doing a good job “and that it is not as well entrenched in rural Bangladesh as has been reported in the media. Only 1.9% of total rural primary enrolment is from QM. The WB report found no link in QM and militancy and has also rejected the claim of rise of madrassa educated graduates in Army as “unfounded.” In this context, the Prime Minister must be given the credit for dealing with the QM issue effectively when she met with its leaders and assured them that her government has confidence in the institution and did not believe what has been said about it in the media.
Bangladesh is a predominantly Muslim country with the overwhelming majority of them simple but firm believers in Islam as a complete code of life. Most of them are not educated enough to understand the virtues of secularism and other intellectual concepts. It is therefore very important for the government to be extremely cautious when handling Islam politically. The current debate over the Fifth Amendment to the constitution, which is now in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, must be handled with care. If the Appellate Division upholds the High Court verdict, then secularism will replace "Absolute trust and faith in the Almighty Allah shall be the basis of all actions" as the fourth principle of state policy with democracy, nationalism and socialism. The Law Minister, acknowledging that the amendment could affect Islamic sentiments, has reassured the people that "bismillah" will remain before the Preamble to the Constitution although this assurance may not be enough.
The trial of the war criminals must also be handled with care. The government cannot backtrack because people voted it to power on this plank as it did on a number of other issues like “Vision 2021” and “Digital Bangladesh.” There is little or no need for the government to go to the media with it because it is pledge-bound to carry it out. Media hype together with the inclination of the ministers to talk about the issue in the media will only delay the government's efforts to conduct the trials and give the opponents an excuse to use the Islamic card against the trials.
It would be foolhardy to underestimate threats of Islamic militancy in Bangladesh. But if any country facing such a threat is poised well to handle it, Bangladesh is the country only if the politics of blame-game does not intervene. One can still move about anywhere in Bangladesh without any fear of being blown up by a bomb. One cannot, however, move around in Bangladesh freely because of common criminals, some with alleged link to those in power. There has been a rapid deterioration of law and order all over Bangladesh and a lot of it is linked to politics in the country. Yet we seem to be concerned more with Islamic militancy and less about the slide in law and order that poses an equally great problem for Bangladesh.
The AL has no links to Islam based parties and thus has no baggage to carry to please such groups as the BNP had to during 2001-2006, an opportunity the Islamic parties used to good measure. The AL has won a massive mandate from the people on an agenda of economic development where power generation, water distribution and overall economic development are their promises to the nation together with holding the trial of the war criminals. To succeed on all these issues, a stable political environment is absolutely indispensable. It is unfortunate that they are now moving into areas that have potential of making politics volatile and unstable.
Our people are deeply sensitive towards Islam. Giving wrong perceptions of Islam abroad also has the potential of harming Bangladesh. Millions of our expatriates live in the Middle East with nearly two million in Saudi Arabia. If these countries perceive that Islam is in danger in Bangladesh, the economic consequences will not be good for the country. Islamic political parties have their supporters in these countries and hence when we blame them for terrorism, we must have our facts absolutely correct and discuss these with our friends in the Middle East, take them on board and then proceed with the matter. Here our diplomacy has a great role to play. Before anyone runs to the media to score points with Islamic militancy, they must have their facts impeccably correct and then weigh it against the diplomatic considerations.
With the AL's massive election victory, the country has been given a great opportunity for economic and social development. The WB report should remind the government that there is a lot of serious research that needs to be done on the status of Islamic militancy in the country before going public over it. This government must save the country from the threats of Islamic militancy and at the same time it must save the image of Bangladesh.
The writer is a former Ambassador to Japan and Director, Centre for Foreign Affairs Studies.
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