by Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury

Although international media has been projecting the ongoing mayhem in Bangladesh, which restarted on August 3, 2024, as student protests, in reality, well-trained terrorists and jihadists are continuing their gruesome activities, mainly targeting elected representatives, journalists, and members of law enforcement agencies. These actions clearly bear the hallmark of Al Qaeda, Islamic State (ISIS), and other radical Islamic militant outfits.

On August 4, Islamist terrorists attacked the Enayetpur police station in Sirajganj district, brutally murdering 13 policemen, looting weapons and ammunition, and setting fire to the building. Similarly, in Netrokona district, terrorists attacked a police vehicle, snatched 10 pistols and 400 rounds of ammunition, mercilessly assaulted policemen, and vandalized their vehicle.

Meanwhile, there are reports of gruesome terrorist attacks throughout the country, resulting in the deaths of at least 100 people, including members of law enforcement agencies.

Meanwhile, there are reports of gruesome terrorist attacks throughout the country resulting in the death of at least 100 people – including members of law enforcement agencies.

In response, the government has urged all students and their guardians to return home and stay safe, saying that militant attacks are occurring in various places across the country. The government press note states, “Militant attacks are taking place in various places. Strict action will be taken against the attackers”.

India has advised its citizens to refrain from visiting Bangladesh. In a notice, the Ministry of External Affairs stated, “In view of ongoing developments, Indian nationals are strongly advised against traveling to Bangladesh until further notice. All Indian nationals presently in Bangladesh are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements, and remain in contact with the High Commission of India in Dhaka through their emergency phone numbers”.

Earlier, during the noon of August 4, 2024, Bangladeshi authorities shut down Meta (Facebook), WhatsApp, and Instagram, as well as mobile internet, as unruly mobs, Islamists, jihadists, and terrorists were using these platforms to spread disinformation and rumors, thus further instigating ongoing extreme anarchy.

It is worth noting that, during the ongoing anti-state subversive and terrorist activities in Bangladesh, a nexus of Al Qaeda-connected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiyo Party (Quader), and Hizbut Tahrir has provided dozens of pocket routers, offering Internet access through WiFi to participants of the terrorist acts for spreading disinformation and rumours on social media platforms, especially Meta, Instagram, and YouTube.

Investigative reporters from Blitz have already detected one such pocket router, which, through a Facebook post, claimed to be providing WiFi facilities at Dhaka University (DU) to disinformation peddlers through a pocket router. The post on the Facebook page named ‘We are Bangladesh’ mentioned that it had purchased eight thousand gigabytes of data to offer this facility.

According to local vendors of mobile phone companies, the cost of eight thousand gigabytes of data is above BDT 300,000 (approximately USD 2,560). This instance clearly proves that under the guise of student protests, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiyo Party (Quader), Hizbut Tahrir, and other foreign elements are spending millions of dollars to implement their notorious blueprint of turning Bangladesh into a neo-Taliban state or a bankrupt country.

Meanwhile, media reports indicate that terrorists involved in the nationwide carnage have asked to use loudspeakers in mosques to spread disinformation once Internet connections or mobile phone data are disrupted or blocked.

As the situation continued to deteriorate, on August 4, 2024, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held an emergency meeting of the National Committee on Security Affairs (NCSA), the highest policymaking authority on national security. The meeting was attended by Army, Navy, and Air Force chiefs, the Prime Minister’s Security Advisor, and ministers of foreign affairs, finance, law, home, civil aviation, education, and state ministers for power, energy, mineral resources, and information and broadcasting.

During the meeting, Sheikh Hasina urged the people of the country to curb anarchists with an iron hand. She stated, “None of those who are now carrying out violence are students. They are terrorists”.

As per the decision of the meeting, a curfew was imposed throughout the country from 18:00 hours on August 4 for an indefinite period. Dhaka-based Independent TV reported that vehicles of four High Court judges were attacked and vandalized in Dhaka city’s Kakrail area.

Meanwhile, a media report indicated that members of the Hindu community in Bangladesh are falling victim as Islamists, jihadists, and terrorists are attacking Hindu homes, shops, and temples. At least two Hindus have been brutally killed by the jihadists. It is worth noting that the Hindu community in Dhaka city’s Laxmibazar, Shakharibazar, and other Hindu-dominated areas, as well as other parts of the country, are in extreme fear as BNP, Jamaat, and Islamist terrorists have branded them as "collaborators of the Awami League" and are openly calling for driving them out of the country. An unconfirmed source further mentioned that in Sirajganj, Magura, and Noakhali districts, Hindu girls and women fell victim to sexual harassment and gang rape.

According to media reports, the nexus of Islamists, jihadists, and terrorists is plotting to attack Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s official residence, Ganabhaban, and force her to resign. One of the conveners of the so-called student movement, in a video message, has called upon protesters to attack Ganabhaban. Earlier, on July 31, Sheikh Hasina said that anarchists had tried to create a Sri Lanka-type mayhem in the country during the recent quota reform movement and had planned to topple the government.

"Actually, they (the anarchists) planned to create Sri Lanka-type violence and oust the government,” she said when Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma called on her.

It is worth mentioning that in December 2023, during a press briefing, Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, alerted about a Western conspiracy to destabilize the situation in Bangladesh similarly to the Arab Spring.

Given the gravity of the situation and the escalating threat posed by these terrorist activities, it is imperative for the international community to recognize and condemn the actions of the Al Qaeda-ISIS nexus within Bangladesh. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina must adopt an uncompromising stance against these jihadist elements, employing all necessary measures to restore order and protect the nation's sovereignty. The resilience of Bangladesh and its people in the face of such extremist aggression will determine the country's future. It is not just a battle for law and order but a decisive fight for the nation's soul, its democratic values, and the safety of its citizens. The world must stand in solidarity with Bangladesh as it confronts this existential threat, ensuring that the sinister ambitions of these terrorist factions are decisively thwarted.

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is an internationally acclaimed multi-award-winning journalist, writer, research-scholar, and Editor, Blitz. He regularly writes for local and international newspapers. This piece is being published as it has been received – it has not been edited/fact-checked by IDN. This essay reflects author's opinions alone. Follow him on X @Salah_Shoaib