America says Bangladesh is good to abolish terrorism 

Bangladesh has demonstrated political will and firm commitment to combating domestic and transnational terrorist groups, and its counterterrorism efforts made it harder for transnational terrorists to operate in or establish safe havens in its territory, said the United States in its new report on Friday.

‘Bangladesh made counterterrorism progress in 2014, with the government demonstrating a commitment to counter both domestic and transnational terrorist groups,’ said the US Department of State in its annual Congressionally mandated Country Reports on Terrorism 2014.

No major terrorist incidents took place in 2014, and the government’s counterterrorism efforts have made it more difficult for transnational terrorists to operate in or use Bangladeshi territory, it said.

‘The current government has demonstrated its strong interest in cooperating with India on counterterrorism,’ said the new report.

Terrorist organisations used social media to spread their radical ideologies and solicit foreign fighters from Bangladesh.

In a September 2014 audio message, al-Qa’ida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri included Bangladesh as one of the countries in which the newly-established al-Qa’ida in the Indian Subcontinent would seek to operate.

Expatriate Bangladeshis have been arrested for attempting to recruit Bangladeshis to join the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

While Bangladesh is not part of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL, it is taking steps to address the threat. On 29 September, police in Bangladesh arrested Samiun Rahman for allegedly recruiting militants for both ISIL and al-Nusrah Front.

Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security Bangladesh’s criminal justice system is in the process of fully implementing the Antiterrorism Act of 2009 (ATA) as amended in 2012 and 2013. Although Bangladesh’s ATA does not outlaw recruitment and travel in furtherance of terrorism, the broad language of the ATA provides several mechanisms by which Bangladesh can implement UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2178, which requires nations to address the foreign terrorist fighter threat.

According to media reports, the report said, government forces arrested several members of domestic terrorist groups Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, Harkatul Jihad al Islami-Bangladesh, and Ansarullah Bangla Team.

Bangladesh cooperated with the United States to further strengthen control of its borders and land, sea, and air ports of entry.

Bangladesh continued to participate in the Department of State’s Antiterrorism Assistance program and received counterterrorism-focused training for law enforcement officers.

Bangladesh also cooperated with the Department of Justice’s efforts to provide prosecutorial skills training, and to institute community policing in targeted areas of the country.

US Special Operations Command Pacific continued counterterrorism training with a number of Bangladesh security forces—including the Bangladesh Coast Guard, Bangladesh Navy Special Warfare and Diving Salvage unit, and the Bangladesh Army 1st Para Commando Battalion.

Countering the Financing of Terrorism

Bangladesh is a member of the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering, a Financial Action Task Force (FATF)-style regional body. The Bangladesh Bank (the central bank) and its financial intelligence unit/anti-money laundering section lead the government’s effort to comply with the international sanctions regime.

The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) is a member of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units. In 2014, Bangladesh graduated out of the FATF’s grey list.

The terrorist finance provisions of the ATA outlaw the provision, receipt, and collection of money, service, and material support where ‘there are reasonable grounds to believe that ... the same has been used or may be used for any purpose by a terrorist entity.’

The Act prohibits membership and support of prohibited organizations, i.e., organizations engaged or involved in terrorist activities, including the terrorist organizations listed under UNSCRs 1267 and 1373.

The ATA includes a broad provision providing mutual legal cooperation on terrorism matters with other nations and a comprehensive forfeiture provision for assets involved in terrorism activities. However, implementation of existing laws remains a significant issue as demonstrated by the absence of money laundering convictions.

Regional and International Cooperation: Bangladesh is active in the full range of international fora.

Bangladesh is party to various counterterrorism protocols under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and is bringing the country’s counterterrorism efforts in line with the four pillars of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

The current government has demonstrated its strong interest in cooperating with India on counterterrorism.

It has signed memoranda of understanding with a number of countries to share evidence regarding criminal investigations, including investigations related to financial crimes and terrorist financing.

Countering Radicalisation to Violence and Violent Extremism

In 2014, Bangladesh became a board member and pilot country for the Global Fund for Community Engagement and Resilience, a public-private global fund to support local, grassroots efforts to counter violent extremism.

Bangladesh uses strategic communication to counter violent extremism, especially among youth.

The Ministry of Education provides oversight for madrassas and is developing a standard national curriculum that includes language, math, and science; and minimum standards of secular subjects to be taught in all primary schools, up to the eighth grade.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs and the National Committee on Militancy Resistance and Prevention work with imams and religious scholars to build public awareness against terrorism.

South Asia

South Asia remained a front line in the battle against terrorism.

Although al-Qa’ida’s (AQ) core in Afghanistan and Pakistan has been seriously degraded, AQ’s global leadership continued to operate from remote locations in the region that the group has historically exploited for safe haven.

AQ’s presence in the region continued to face pressure from international, Afghan, and Pakistani forces, and Pakistan’s ongoing offensive in North Waziristan Agency, launched in June 2014, further degraded the group’s freedom to operate.

Pressure on AQ’s traditional safe haven has constrained the leadership’s capability to communicate effectively with affiliate groups outside of South Asia.

Afghanistan, in particular, continued to experience aggressive and coordinated attacks by the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani Network (HQN), and other insurgent and terrorist groups.

A number of these attacks were planned and launched from safe havens in Pakistan.

Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) provided security throughout most of Afghanistan as the transition to full Afghan leadership on security continued and US and Coalition Forces (CF) continued to draw down during 2014. The ANSF and CF, in partnership, took aggressive action against terrorist elements in Afghanistan, especially in Kabul, and in many of the eastern and northern provinces.

Pakistan continued to experience significant terrorist violence, including sectarian attacks. The Pakistani military undertook operations against groups that conducted attacks within Pakistan such as TTP, but did not take action against other groups such as Lashkar e-Tayyiba, which continued to operate, train, rally, propagandize, and fundraise in Pakistan.

Afghan Taliban and HQN leadership continued to find safe haven in Pakistan, and although Pakistan military operations disrupted the actions of these groups, it did not directly target them.

India remained a target of terrorist attacks, including operations launched by Maoist insurgents and domestic and transnational groups. The level of terrorist violence was substantially unchanged from 2013.

Indian authorities continued to blame Pakistan for supporting terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir. On September 3, AQ announced the establishment of a new branch in the Indian subcontinent.

The Government of India deepened counterterrorism cooperation with the United States, highlighted by a September 30 Summit between President Obama and Prime Minister Modi where both sides pledged greater cooperation in countering terrorist networks and in information sharing.

Even though only a small number of Indian nationals are believed to have joined the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Indian government closely monitored the domestic threat it and other terrorist organizations posed.

Bangladesh made counterterrorism progress in 2014, with the government demonstrating a commitment to counter both domestic and transnational terrorist groups.

No major terrorist incidents took place in 2014, and the government’s counterterrorism efforts have made it more difficult for transnational terrorists to operate in or use Bangladeshi territory.

Central Asian leaders have expressed concern about the potential terrorist threat posed by the return of foreign terrorist fighters to the region in the wake of ISIL’s growth in the Middle East and the drawdown of US and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan.