Behind The Dhaka Cafe Attack

The high-profile terror attack in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka (which has ended hours ago) has to be seen in the context of international developments as well as the Sheikh Hasina government’s ongoing fight against Islamic extremism in her own country.

The hostage crisis at the high-profile café in the Bangladeshi capital comes within days of the terror attack at the Turkey International Airport. The Islamic State, which is engaged in a battle for survival in Iraq and other parts of West Asia, was said to be behind the attack in Turkey. It also claims responsibility for the attack at the Dhaka café.

Irrespective of the linkage between the two attacks, the possibility of the Islamic State finding traction with disaffected youths in South Asia, particularly Bangladesh, as elsewhere in the world, cannot be ruled out.

The Sheikh Hasina government has been engaged in a battle with Islamic militant groups in her country for the past several years. In fact she had been a target of these militants even before she came to power and on a number of occasions have narrowly escaped their murderous attacks.

Her attempt to put the Jamaat-e-Islami leaders on trial for their alleged ‘war crimes’ during the country’s liberation struggle, was seen in many quarters to consolidate her position in Bangladesh by implementing a promise that remains highly emotive and divisive in her country.

But this fight that led to a number of Jamaat leaders being given the death penalty, has also opened the space for the Islamic militant groups to reassert themselves.

In the absence of getting to attack the Prime Minister or those close to her, the militants have been targeting ‘soft targets’ that included a number of academics, liberal bloggers, and activists of the LGBT community and members of the religious minority, including Hindus.

But so far they had not gone for a ‘high-profile’ target like the Holey Artisan Bakery café. This attack marks a shift in their tactics and indicates an attempt to internationalize their fight against Sheikh Hasina—something that has so far only remained a part of discussion in Bangladesh and in some parts of South Asia.

It may take much more serious investigation to establish whether the attackers had any worthwhile links with the IS. But as in the past with the Al Qaeda, hitching oneself with the Islamic State has been a growing trend in different parts of the world among Muslim youths. Therefore, to find some Bangladeshi militant groups to do the same in their attempt to attract international infamy cannot be ruled out.

However, what is more dangerous for a liberal, democratic polity is the space it also opens up for the government in this atmosphere of terror to launch their attack and isolate its political critics. The space for dissent in Bangladesh has been steadily shrinking in the past several years with Sheikh Hasina’s attempt to stifle criticism of her policies. A number of liberals in the country, including well-known journalists and scholars, have been targeted in this move of hers. This trend is likely to grow and may unwittingly, give more space to the Islamic militant groups to expand their influence and win over more sympathizers to their side.

It is an urgent need for the Hasina government, therefore, to make the distinction between her opponents, who are a natural corollary in a democracy and the forces that are trying to destroy the liberal and pluralistic tradition of Bangladesh.