Awami League has been carrying out political opposition as ‘terrorism’: US report
Last Updated on December 16, 2024 6:19 am
In Bangladesh, the Awami League, which was ousted in the face of mass movements, used terrorism and militancy as a shield to persecute its opponents. During the last 15 years of its rule, the Awami League failed politically and used law enforcement agencies to stage various incidents of terrorism and militancy.
The Awami League has also labeled the student and public movements as terrorist and militant before August 5.
The US Terrorism Report 2023 has now confirmed the truth in the information about Bangladesh. It says, ‘There were no incidents of international terrorist violence in Bangladesh in 2023. Although the government has often portrayed political opposition as ‘terrorism’ during that time, and some security forces have been accused of extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations.’
A recent report by the US State Department said that leaders of opposition political parties were detained in the name of terrorism in 2023. The report also alleges human rights violations.
However, the report also highlighted the suppression of several terrorist activities during the previous government’s tenure in 2023. The report said, “In particular, members of al-Qaeda, Ansarullah Bangla Team (also known as Ansar al-Islam) and ISIS-affiliated New Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (Neo-JMB) have been detained. Bangladesh police units trained by the US government have arrested several suspected terrorists.
The report also said that in May, two soldiers were killed in an attack by the ethnic separatist Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) in the hilly district of Chittagong in southeastern Bangladesh. Another soldier was killed in a similar attack in March.
The KNF was also accused of training the new al-Qaeda-inspired group Jamaat-ul-Ansar fil Hindal Sharqia (JAHS). At the time, Bangladeshi authorities said they had brought the organization’s activities under control in early 2023. The organization’s alleged emir was arrested in July. This has rendered the organization largely inactive.
The report also highlights the amendment to the Digital Security Act. It states that the Digital Security Act has been amended and renamed the Cyber Security Act. Although the law was amended to combat potential terrorist activities online, it mainly restricts citizens’ freedom of expression and allows for arrests.
The report states that security cooperation between Bangladesh and the United States continued as an area of international cooperation. The United States has assisted Bangladesh in training law enforcement agencies and judges. At the same time, the report mentions that it has also provided assistance in improving airport security.