Government representatives of Bangladesh, India and Nepal launched the tri-nation trial bus service in Dhaka on Monday. Two buses from Dhaka set off for Kathmandu and would transit through Siliguri.

The bus service is being tested under the Motor Vehicle Agreement signed in June 2015 as part of the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) initiative of South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation.

The journey will not cover Bhutan as the country requires a parliamentary nod to ratify the motor vehicle agreement. Bhutan however, has asked the three countries to go ahead with the bus service.

The buses would travel 1,200 kilometres over the next three days and arrive at Kathmandu on April 26, said Farid Ahmed Bhuiyan, chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation.

"Our journey today would survey how we can make things easy for passengers in the future. All the three countries will work together so that this route can be made feasible," Bhuiyan told WION.

Some passengers feared that the long journey could become a disincentive for travellers. Officials said if the visa procedures and travel requirements can be made easier, more passengers would feel encouraged to use the bus service.

A passenger protocol will be signed later in Delhi by the transport secretaries of the respective countries but a date has not been fixed yet. There will also be discussion about protocols for cargo vehicles.

"Protocols normally provide the visa procedures, technical specifications of the buses, how the buses will run after getting route permits, driver license and travel documents and passenger documents that would be required," said Govinda Prasad Kharel, under secretary of the Nepal's Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.

The initiative would be a breakthrough for seamless cross-border movement of vehicles among the countries, which in the future can increase trade and tourism within the region.

According to the World Bank, intra-regional trade accounts for only five percent of South Asia's total trade, compared to 25 percent in ASEAN. The report says South Asia is one of the least integrated regions.

Failure to pull off South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation has prompted South Asian countries to mull subregional economic cooperation. But tension within the region such as the Rohingya crisis and the Doklam standoff between China and India are major stumbling blocks to corridors of economic opportunities such as the Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar.

Officials said if the visa procedures and travel requirements can be made easier, more passengers would feel encouraged to use the bus service.

Government representatives of Bangladesh, India and Nepal launched the tri-nation trial bus service in Dhaka on Monday. Two buses from Dhaka set off for Kathmandu and would transit through Siliguri. The bus service is being tested under the Motor Vehicle Agreement signed in June 2015 as part of the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) initiative of South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation. The journey will not cover Bhutan as the country requires a parliamentary nod to ratify the motor vehicle agreement. Bhutan however, has asked the three countries to go ahead with the bus service. The buses would travel 1,200 kilometres over the next three days and arrive at Kathmandu on April 26, said Farid Ahmed Bhuiyan, chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation. "Our journey today would survey how we can make things easy for passengers in the future. All the three countries will work together so that this route can be made feasible," Bhuiyan told WION. Some passengers feared that the long journey could become a disincentive for travellers. Officials said if the visa procedures and travel requirements can be made easier, more passengers would feel encouraged to use the bus service. A passenger protocol will be signed later in Delhi by the transport secretaries of the respective countries but a date has not been fixed yet. There will also be discussion about protocols for cargo vehicles. "Protocols normally provide the visa procedures, technical specifications of the buses, how the buses will run after getting route permits, driver license and travel documents and passenger documents that would be required," said Govinda Prasad Kharel, under secretary of the Nepal's Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport. The initiative would be a breakthrough for seamless cross-border movement of vehicles among the countries, which in the future can increase trade and tourism within the region. According to the World Bank, intra-regional trade accounts for only five percent of South Asia's total trade, compared to 25 percent in ASEAN. The report says South Asia is one of the least integrated regions. Failure to pull off South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation has prompted South Asian countries to mull subregional economic cooperation. But tension within the region such as the Rohingya crisis and the Doklam standoff between China and India are major stumbling blocks to corridors of economic opportunities such as the Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar.

Dhaka-Siliguri-Kathmandu bus service goes on trial

The Rohingya crisis has put Bangladesh in the most difficult of positions. The international community has extended solidarity to Bangladesh but beyond that, there has been little financial assistance with when it comes rehabilitating the very large population - 1,000,000 - of Rohingya currently taking refuge in Bangladesh.&nbsp;

Nor has Myanmar been held accountable for its actions.&nbsp;

Until the apartheid in Myanmar is dismantled and the country's government held accountable for the atrocities that have been committed, repatriation of the Rohingya will not be sustainable. WION's Bangladesh bureau chief Saad Hammadi speaks to Dr Gowher Rizvi, international affairs advisor to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

WION: Dr Rizvi, thank you for speaking to WION. I would first like to ask you how you feel about the response from the international community?

Gowher Rizvi: At one level the response of the international community has been most heartening. In a sense there is hardly a country in the world which has not condemned Myanmar and has not supported and appreciated the gesture of Bangladesh in taking in about a million Myanmar refugees into the country. To that extent we are really pleased. However, just verbal support is not enough. We know that Myanmar is stubborn. It has no intention of moving away from its position. The only way to be moved is when pressure is brought on. Myanmar is playing a very skilful game. Whenever there is some discussion in the United Nations, whenever there is a possibility that this will be raised in some international forum, some movement takes place but the real test is the repatriation of the refugees back to Myanmar. No progress has been made there. Unfortunately, the international community has not taken sterner measures without which nothing seems to happen.

WION: With regard to the geopolitics in this area, Bangladesh's closest allies are India and China. How do you feel about their responses?

Gowher Rizvi: We have been in conversation both with China and India. We are really satisfied and happy with their responses. One thing which is very important to realise is that every country has multiple interests, multiple priorities. For India or China, Rohingya issue or Bangladesh or Myanmar cannot be the only issue. They have to balance many of their other interests. Secondly, we know we have excellent relationship with India and with China. We do not want to put India or China in a position where we say you are with us or against us. That is not how diplomacy is played out. They have offered their help, they are using their influence, they are bringing subtle pressures and we are working hand in hand. I believe both of them are working in the right direction, although as I said, we are now reaching a point where we have to perhaps move beyond closed room diplomacy to some real hard international actions.

WION: You have referred to more pressure being exerted on Myanmar to create the conditions for the repatriation to take place. What do you feel should be the immediate actions?

Gowher Rizvi: For first, Myanmar must accept international observers, must accept international humanitarian organisations, the UN agency, International Committee for Red Cross, International Organisation for Migration, who will be there on the ground to monitor the situation, to make sure that the environment is safe and free for the Rohingyas to return. Unless that happens, no refugee will willingly go back to face the same brutality, massacre, genocide that they escaped from in August and September.

WION: Very recently, you have also mentioned sanctions. Will you tell us more about what you meant?

Gowher Rizvi: It is very obvious. We know that there was a sanction against Myanmar to bring its hardline military rulers to behave and those sanctions were lifted as a response to the state counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the hope that there would be democracy, there would be opening of the Myanmar society and Myanmar would behave as a responsible member of the international community. Sadly, Myanmar took all the concessions but has not moved. The military still controls, the elected leaders wield very little power. In these circumstances our expectation that the removal of sanctions will enable democracy to flourish has not happened and as a matter of fact it has encouraged the military to launch this campaign of genocide, ethnic cleansing, the worst of its kind that we can remember. It is now time for countries to reconsider posing economic sanctions, military sanctions, travel restrictions, stopping foreign investment, denying access of market to Myanmar products. When these things happen, the military in Myanmar will come to senses. Until then I fear these will be all empty talks. Myanmar knows that after a while the global attention will shift somewhere else. Please remember, this is a very well designed, carefully planned genocide to push an entire ethnic group out of the country and we need to be very careful and remember that. I also believe we need to document all the egregious human rights violations that are taking place, the genocide that has taken place. At some point, I hope these human rights organisations, Human Rights Watch and so forth, will take these to the International Criminal Court of Justice.&nbsp;

WION: Clearly that would be the real test of humanity for the international community. While the Rohingya community have moved here to Bangladesh, in the southern Cox's Bazar, the monsoon is also approaching. A landslide could take place, how challenging will it be to avoid a catastrophe?

Gowher Rizvi: As you can see, Bangladesh is a very small country, extremely congested, by far the most densely populated country in the world. Despite that we have taken in a million people and opened up whatever we have, whatever little land that was available. We have housed them, we are feeding them, we are providing healthcare and we are providing security. Bangladesh is doing and will continue to do everything within its power. There is indeed the danger of mudslide because the terrain is such that there is going to be a mudslide. That is why we are also trying to make an alternative arrangement in a neighbouring island so that those who are most vulnerable can be safely evacuated there and in conditions which are habitable, which are up to the standards, meets the necessities of the refugees. We are doing everything we can. I think the international community, rather than focusing on Bangladesh and what more can Bangladesh do, should be looking into Myanmar. Bangladesh did not create this problem. The problem was created by Myanmar. The solution lies in Myanmar. Therefore, we should be looking there. As far as our prime minister is concerned, she has really done a very humane thing, a courageous thing to take them in. She has promised that she wants them to voluntarily go back. We are not pushing them. We have upheld the highest level of international and humanitarian law. And we will continue to do. I do believe the focus needs to be on Myanmar where the problem is.

I think we have to also be aware of the larger issues. What we are seeing today is a dictatorial, tyrannical regime ousting an entire ethnic community from the soils of Myanmar and if the global community accepts this, then I fear there will be upheaval in many corners. There are minorities in every country. Minorities in every country will come under threat. We need to be very mindful of that and we should not allow any country to get away with it. There is another thing that we need to be thinking about. This camp of a million people is a potential for recruitment of extremists. We are protecting it, we are making sure no such thing happens. But over years, as we have seen in other camps, this becomes a breeding ground for terrorists. If that happens, our entire region, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Thailand, none of us will be safe. The stakes are really high and we must move as fast as possible to make sure the root cause is eliminated.&nbsp;

Watch the full interview below:&nbsp;

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hqhPmIu3gtc" width="560"></iframe>

Gowher Rizvi, international affairs adviser to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, spoke to WION's Bangladesh bureau chief Saad Hammadi

The Rohingya crisis has put Bangladesh in the most difficult of positions. The international community has extended solidarity to Bangladesh but beyond that, there has been little financial assistance with when it comes rehabilitating the very large population - 1,000,000 - of Rohingya currently taking refuge in Bangladesh. Nor has Myanmar been held accountable for its actions. Until the apartheid in Myanmar is dismantled and the country's government held accountable for the atrocities that have been committed, repatriation of the Rohingya will not be sustainable. WION's Bangladesh bureau chief Saad Hammadi speaks to Dr Gowher Rizvi, international affairs advisor to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. WION: Dr Rizvi, thank you for speaking to WION. I would first like to ask you how you feel about the response from the international community? Gowher Rizvi: At one level the response of the international community has been most heartening. In a sense there is hardly a country in the world which has not condemned Myanmar and has not supported and appreciated the gesture of Bangladesh in taking in about a million Myanmar refugees into the country. To that extent we are really pleased. However, just verbal support is not enough. We know that Myanmar is stubborn. It has no intention of moving away from its position. The only way to be moved is when pressure is brought on. Myanmar is playing a very skilful game. Whenever there is some discussion in the United Nations, whenever there is a possibility that this will be raised in some international forum, some movement takes place but the real test is the repatriation of the refugees back to Myanmar. No progress has been made there. Unfortunately, the international community has not taken sterner measures without which nothing seems to happen. WION: With regard to the geopolitics in this area, Bangladesh's closest allies are India and China. How do you feel about their responses? Gowher Rizvi: We have been in conversation both with China and India. We are really satisfied and happy with their responses. One thing which is very important to realise is that every country has multiple interests, multiple priorities. For India or China, Rohingya issue or Bangladesh or Myanmar cannot be the only issue. They have to balance many of their other interests. Secondly, we know we have excellent relationship with India and with China. We do not want to put India or China in a position where we say you are with us or against us. That is not how diplomacy is played out. They have offered their help, they are using their influence, they are bringing subtle pressures and we are working hand in hand. I believe both of them are working in the right direction, although as I said, we are now reaching a point where we have to perhaps move beyond closed room diplomacy to some real hard international actions. WION: You have referred to more pressure being exerted on Myanmar to create the conditions for the repatriation to take place. What do you feel should be the immediate actions? Gowher Rizvi: For first, Myanmar must accept international observers, must accept international humanitarian organisations, the UN agency, International Committee for Red Cross, International Organisation for Migration, who will be there on the ground to monitor the situation, to make sure that the environment is safe and free for the Rohingyas to return. Unless that happens, no refugee will willingly go back to face the same brutality, massacre, genocide that they escaped from in August and September. WION: Very recently, you have also mentioned sanctions. Will you tell us more about what you meant? Gowher Rizvi: It is very obvious. We know that there was a sanction against Myanmar to bring its hardline military rulers to behave and those sanctions were lifted as a response to the state counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the hope that there would be democracy, there would be opening of the Myanmar society and Myanmar would behave as a responsible member of the international community. Sadly, Myanmar took all the concessions but has not moved. The military still controls, the elected leaders wield very little power. In these circumstances our expectation that the removal of sanctions will enable democracy to flourish has not happened and as a matter of fact it has encouraged the military to launch this campaign of genocide, ethnic cleansing, the worst of its kind that we can remember. It is now time for countries to reconsider posing economic sanctions, military sanctions, travel restrictions, stopping foreign investment, denying access of market to Myanmar products. When these things happen, the military in Myanmar will come to senses. Until then I fear these will be all empty talks. Myanmar knows that after a while the global attention will shift somewhere else. Please remember, this is a very well designed, carefully planned genocide to push an entire ethnic group out of the country and we need to be very careful and remember that. I also believe we need to document all the egregious human rights violations that are taking place, the genocide that has taken place. At some point, I hope these human rights organisations, Human Rights Watch and so forth, will take these to the International Criminal Court of Justice. WION: Clearly that would be the real test of humanity for the international community. While the Rohingya community have moved here to Bangladesh, in the southern Cox's Bazar, the monsoon is also approaching. A landslide could take place, how challenging will it be to avoid a catastrophe? Gowher Rizvi: As you can see, Bangladesh is a very small country, extremely congested, by far the most densely populated country in the world. Despite that we have taken in a million people and opened up whatever we have, whatever little land that was available. We have housed them, we are feeding them, we are providing healthcare and we are providing security. Bangladesh is doing and will continue to do everything within its power. There is indeed the danger of mudslide because the terrain is such that there is going to be a mudslide. That is why we are also trying to make an alternative arrangement in a neighbouring island so that those who are most vulnerable can be safely evacuated there and in conditions which are habitable, which are up to the standards, meets the necessities of the refugees. We are doing everything we can. I think the international community, rather than focusing on Bangladesh and what more can Bangladesh do, should be looking into Myanmar. Bangladesh did not create this problem. The problem was created by Myanmar. The solution lies in Myanmar. Therefore, we should be looking there. As far as our prime minister is concerned, she has really done a very humane thing, a courageous thing to take them in. She has promised that she wants them to voluntarily go back. We are not pushing them. We have upheld the highest level of international and humanitarian law. And we will continue to do. I do believe the focus needs to be on Myanmar where the problem is. I think we have to also be aware of the larger issues. What we are seeing today is a dictatorial, tyrannical regime ousting an entire ethnic community from the soils of Myanmar and if the global community accepts this, then I fear there will be upheaval in many corners. There are minorities in every country. Minorities in every country will come under threat. We need to be very mindful of that and we should not allow any country to get away with it. There is another thing that we need to be thinking about. This camp of a million people is a potential for recruitment of extremists. We are protecting it, we are making sure no such thing happens. But over years, as we have seen in other camps, this becomes a breeding ground for terrorists. If that happens, our entire region, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Thailand, none of us will be safe. The stakes are really high and we must move as fast as possible to make sure the root cause is eliminated. Watch the full interview below:

Rohingya crisis: Impose sanctions, cut off investment, then Myanmar Army will come to its senses, says adviser to Bangladesh PM 

A jailed Khaleda Zia is more popular than a free one. The ruling party may have made a strategic mistake by sending the former prime minister and leader of the country&#39;s largest opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party to jail.

Bangladesh is less than a year away from the 11th parliamentary elections. Analysts in Bangladesh say that between the two Begums, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is more politically sound than her nemesis Khaleda Zia but Zia&#39;s only card to return to power is sympathy.&nbsp;

The ruling party may have just given that to her by implicating her on charges of embezzling charity funds of more than 20 million Bangladeshi takas (USD 252,000).

Subsequently, a special court in Dhaka on February 8 sent Zia to jail for five years. Five others including her son Tarique Rahman have been given 10 years jail terms in the same case.

BNP leaders say the charges are false and politically motivated to restrain her from contesting in the elections. The BNP and its alliances have engaged in movements across the country demanding the release of the former prime minister.&nbsp;

BNP&#39;s boycott of the 2014 elections has put the party in an existential crisis after the government sent activists and senior leaders of the party to jail on charges of political violence. Subsequently, some of the leaders resigned from the party while others have failed to stir a political campaign or movement in fear of arrests.&nbsp;

The rightwing party founded by General Ziaur Rahman, husband of Khaleda Zia, will be led by their son Tarique Rahman, who has been staying in London to avoid arrest in Dhaka.

For BNP the upcoming elections will be crucial for its existence but the ruling party will make sure that it has a clear passage to retain the government.&nbsp;

In 2014 the international community criticised the Awami League for holding a controversial election without the participation of key opposition. There was speculation that an interim election was inevitable. But Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina&#39;s government proved those speculations wrong.

This time it has become much stronger. The government has strengthened its relationship with both China and India - the two influential economies in South Asia - through economic and bilateral cooperation.&nbsp;

The Awami League has secured Chinese financial assistance of $24 billion in October 2016, becoming the largest financial contributor to Bangladesh. Within its two consecutive tenure since 2008, the party has also secured three lines of credits from India worth $8 billion including a defence cooperation deal worth $500 million.

All of these would have a bearing in the coming elections and while the Awami League really has courted the ball all the way, the opposition may just have found a cue.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is more politically sound than her nemesis Khaleda Zia but Zia's only card to return to power is sympathy.

A jailed Khaleda Zia is more popular than a free one. The ruling party may have made a strategic mistake by sending the former prime minister and leader of the country's largest opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party to jail. Bangladesh is less than a year away from the 11th parliamentary elections. Analysts in Bangladesh say that between the two Begums, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is more politically sound than her nemesis Khaleda Zia but Zia's only card to return to power is sympathy. The ruling party may have just given that to her by implicating her on charges of embezzling charity funds of more than 20 million Bangladeshi takas (USD 252,000). Subsequently, a special court in Dhaka on February 8 sent Zia to jail for five years. Five others including her son Tarique Rahman have been given 10 years jail terms in the same case. BNP leaders say the charges are false and politically motivated to restrain her from contesting in the elections. The BNP and its alliances have engaged in movements across the country demanding the release of the former prime minister. BNP's boycott of the 2014 elections has put the party in an existential crisis after the government sent activists and senior leaders of the party to jail on charges of political violence. Subsequently, some of the leaders resigned from the party while others have failed to stir a political campaign or movement in fear of arrests. The rightwing party founded by General Ziaur Rahman, husband of Khaleda Zia, will be led by their son Tarique Rahman, who has been staying in London to avoid arrest in Dhaka. For BNP the upcoming elections will be crucial for its existence but the ruling party will make sure that it has a clear passage to retain the government. In 2014 the international community criticised the Awami League for holding a controversial election without the participation of key opposition. There was speculation that an interim election was inevitable. But Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina's government proved those speculations wrong. This time it has become much stronger. The government has strengthened its relationship with both China and India - the two influential economies in South Asia - through economic and bilateral cooperation. The Awami League has secured Chinese financial assistance of $24 billion in October 2016, becoming the largest financial contributor to Bangladesh. Within its two consecutive tenure since 2008, the party has also secured three lines of credits from India worth $8 billion including a defence cooperation deal worth $500 million. All of these would have a bearing in the coming elections and while the Awami League really has courted the ball all the way, the opposition may just have found a cue. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: A jailed Khaleda Zia is more popular than a free one

Literature newly released by Muhammad Miqdaad, a Bangladeshi Al-Qaeda fighter in the subcontinent, calls on the Muslims of Bangladesh to wage &quot;jihad&quot; against the Myanmar establishment to liberate Arakan (what is today the Rakhine state of Myanmar) for the Rohingya population.

The literature -- titled &quot;Adopt the Call of Allah; Say &ldquo;No&rdquo; to Jahiliyyah!&quot; -- was released by Al-Qaeda&#39;s As-Sahab Media on the messaging app Telegram.

Miqdaad, the author of the literature, argues that the &quot;devil and his companions&quot; have divided the identity of Muslims as one nation by segregating them by region and locality.

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<h5>Due to the unrestrained cruelty &mdash; genocide, rape, and other war crimes &mdash; committed upon Arakanese Muslims, Jihad against the Burmese Army has become an individual obligation on every capable Muslim of Bangladesh,&#39; literature newly released by Al-Qaeda says</h5>
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Released on December 16, the literature dates back to September, Miqdaad writes: &quot;Specially, recently when I see the genocide, and the oppression on Arakanese Muslims&hellip; the demolishment of their dwellings&hellip; the assaults on their women&hellip; and then their attempts to enter Bangladesh or Malaysia for asylum&hellip; and then at the same time, the Bangladeshi and Malaysian Muslims&rsquo; adoption of the identity of Jahiliyyah while forgetting their real identity&hellip; thus rejecting and abandoning their own people by identifying them as Rohingya or Burmese.&quot;

The literature argues that Arakan is not part of Myanmar and was a blueprint of the &quot;kuffar&quot; (infidels) to &quot;annihilate the Muslims&quot;.

The nine-page piece of literature pulls references from Quranic verses and provides a brief history of the region, making its arguments methodically.

Also read -- <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-exodus-hide-run-pay-and-stay-alive-891" target="_blank">Rohingya exodus: Hide, run, pay and stay alive</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-am-a-rohingya-and-rohingyas-are-not-terrorist-rohingya-activist-tun-khin-speaks-to-wion-19965" target="_blank">&#39;I am a Rohingya. And Rohingyas are not terrorist&#39;: Rohingya activist Tun Khin speaks to WION</a>

The literature further states: &quot;Due to the unrestrained cruelty &mdash; genocide, rape, and other war crimes &mdash; committed upon Arakanese Muslims, Jihad against the Burmese Army has become an individual obligation on every capable Muslim of Bangladesh.&quot;

Bangladesh currently houses nearly a million Rohingya refugees, including a fresh influx of 655,000 members of the community who have sought refuge in Bangladesh&#39;s Southern Cox&#39;s Bazar since September this year. The fresh influx occurred following a crackdown by the Myanmar Army on the Rohingya population in Myanmar&#39;s northern Rakhine state.&nbsp;

Security analysts say the Rohingya&#39;s vulnerable condition makes them ripe for exploitation by extremist outfits across the region.

Recent reports in the Indian media have also revealed that members of the Rohingya community, as well as jihadists from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, have been training on making and using improvised explosive devices in Mae Sot in Thailand.

The ongoing Rohingya crisis in Rakhine erupted after the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, an insurgent group, killed 30 members of the Myanmar security forces on August 25.

On its Twitter page, ARSA has denied any allegiance to global terrorist organisations but the latest literature from Al-Qaeda indicates the jihadist organisation is harping on the Rohingya crisis to legitimise its own cause.

Al Qaeda has called for the liberation of Arakan (what is today the Rakhine state of Myanmar)

Literature newly released by Muhammad Miqdaad, a Bangladeshi Al-Qaeda fighter in the subcontinent, calls on the Muslims of Bangladesh to wage "jihad" against the Myanmar establishment to liberate Arakan (what is today the Rakhine state of Myanmar) for the Rohingya population. The literature -- titled "Adopt the Call of Allah; Say “No” to Jahiliyyah!" -- was released by Al-Qaeda's As-Sahab Media on the messaging app Telegram. Miqdaad, the author of the literature, argues that the "devil and his companions" have divided the identity of Muslims as one nation by segregating them by region and locality. Due to the unrestrained cruelty — genocide, rape, and other war crimes — committed upon Arakanese Muslims, Jihad against the Burmese Army has become an individual obligation on every capable Muslim of Bangladesh,' literature newly released by Al-Qaeda says × Released on December 16, the literature dates back to September, Miqdaad writes: "Specially, recently when I see the genocide, and the oppression on Arakanese Muslims… the demolishment of their dwellings… the assaults on their women… and then their attempts to enter Bangladesh or Malaysia for asylum… and then at the same time, the Bangladeshi and Malaysian Muslims’ adoption of the identity of Jahiliyyah while forgetting their real identity… thus rejecting and abandoning their own people by identifying them as Rohingya or Burmese." The literature argues that Arakan is not part of Myanmar and was a blueprint of the "kuffar" (infidels) to "annihilate the Muslims". The nine-page piece of literature pulls references from Quranic verses and provides a brief history of the region, making its arguments methodically. Also read -- Rohingya exodus: Hide, run, pay and stay alive 'I am a Rohingya. And Rohingyas are not terrorist': Rohingya activist Tun Khin speaks to WION The literature further states: "Due to the unrestrained cruelty — genocide, rape, and other war crimes — committed upon Arakanese Muslims, Jihad against the Burmese Army has become an individual obligation on every capable Muslim of Bangladesh." Bangladesh currently houses nearly a million Rohingya refugees, including a fresh influx of 655,000 members of the community who have sought refuge in Bangladesh's Southern Cox's Bazar since September this year. The fresh influx occurred following a crackdown by the Myanmar Army on the Rohingya population in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state. Security analysts say the Rohingya's vulnerable condition makes them ripe for exploitation by extremist outfits across the region. Recent reports in the Indian media have also revealed that members of the Rohingya community, as well as jihadists from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, have been training on making and using improvised explosive devices in Mae Sot in Thailand. The ongoing Rohingya crisis in Rakhine erupted after the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, an insurgent group, killed 30 members of the Myanmar security forces on August 25. On its Twitter page, ARSA has denied any allegiance to global terrorist organisations but the latest literature from Al-Qaeda indicates the jihadist organisation is harping on the Rohingya crisis to legitimise its own cause.

Al-Qaeda calls on Bangladeshi Muslims to wage jihad against Myanmar Army

Violence in Myanmar has not only pushed Rohingya Muslims but also Hindus from their homes to Bangladesh. I visited&nbsp;the Hindu communities that have sheltered the migrants in the border areas across Cox&#39;s Bazar

We have heard about Rohingya Muslims coming from Myanmar to Bangladesh fleeing the persecution that they have been facing for decades but we have not heard much about the Hindus of Myanmar who have been facing similar persecution and have sought shelter in Bangladesh in&nbsp;places across Ukhiya in Cox&#39;s Bazar. One of such persons is Chitta Ranjan Pal.&nbsp;

In speaking to WION, Chitta Ranjan Pal, Hindu migrant from Burma pointed out, &quot;An insurgent group has waged a movement against the government in Myanmar. We have moved to Bangladesh in the face of their atrocities. This group had confined us for eight days in our village and did not let us go outside for groceries or even get water. After some days we got to know that they killed many Burmese Hindus at Fakirabazar, two kilometres away from our village.&nbsp;

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<h5>After some days we got to know that they killed many Burmese Hindus at Fakirabazar, two kilometres away from our village.&nbsp;</h5>
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We came to know that they killed 86 people in that village and the same happened in another Hindu village. We discussed among ourselves and then asked them do you plan to kill us after keeping us hostage, instead set us free and we will leave. They were nice to us for a few days after we talked but later we learnt that they planned to kill us by bombing.

The Burmese government gave us a card which says we are Indian. We go by that card.&quot;

An estimated 500 Hindus have fled to Bangladesh since the violence erupted in Myanmar.&nbsp;Like the Rohingya Muslims are identified as Bengali settlers in Myanmar, the Myanmar government identifies the Hindus of its land as Indians.

Their misery of identification does not end there. Since the violence&nbsp;erupted in the last week of August, insurgent groups in Myanmar have killed at least 86 members of their community.

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<h5>A Muslim family helped us escape to this camp because we gave them word that we will convert to their religion.</h5>
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Another Hindu migrant from Burma, Rekha Dhar had the most gruesome account of the fate they encountered. Speaking to WION, she said, &quot;They hacked my husband to death, looted my house and husband&rsquo;s jewellery store. They had black outfits and faces covered so that we could not&nbsp;identify them. They killed all the people of my area and kept only eight of us women alive. We fled our homes to this place. A Muslim family helped us escape to this camp because we gave them word that we will convert to their religion. My husband had a gold store where he had 30 tolas gold, all of which they looted. Even the little jewellery we had on ourselves or the children, they looted them too. Eight of us women came here but the men could not. They killed them all.&nbsp;

We came here walking for two days across the hills. They saved us because we promised to let go of our belief. If we refused, they would have killed us.&quot; &nbsp;

As scores of Myanmar nationals, including Rohingyas and Hindus flee homes in masses to Bangladesh, prices of essentials such as rice and materials for makeshift huts, such as plastic sheets and bamboos have increased in the bordering regions.

The cost of living has increased in Ukhiya. This is one of the most impoverished areas in Bangladesh. The camps of plastic sheets and bamboos are increasing in number every passing hour. This has also made business for some locals here. On the other end, the Myanmar migrants say they are being pushed into misery for no fault of theirs. Whether it is the insurgents or the Myanmar army, these people are simply victims of a bloody civil war in Myanmar.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Like the Rohingya Muslims are identified as Bengali settlers in Myanmar, the Myanmar government identifies the Hindus of its land as Indians.

Violence in Myanmar has not only pushed Rohingya Muslims but also Hindus from their homes to Bangladesh. I visited the Hindu communities that have sheltered the migrants in the border areas across Cox's Bazar We have heard about Rohingya Muslims coming from Myanmar to Bangladesh fleeing the persecution that they have been facing for decades but we have not heard much about the Hindus of Myanmar who have been facing similar persecution and have sought shelter in Bangladesh in places across Ukhiya in Cox's Bazar. One of such persons is Chitta Ranjan Pal. In speaking to WION, Chitta Ranjan Pal, Hindu migrant from Burma pointed out, "An insurgent group has waged a movement against the government in Myanmar. We have moved to Bangladesh in the face of their atrocities. This group had confined us for eight days in our village and did not let us go outside for groceries or even get water. After some days we got to know that they killed many Burmese Hindus at Fakirabazar, two kilometres away from our village. After some days we got to know that they killed many Burmese Hindus at Fakirabazar, two kilometres away from our village. × We came to know that they killed 86 people in that village and the same happened in another Hindu village. We discussed among ourselves and then asked them do you plan to kill us after keeping us hostage, instead set us free and we will leave. They were nice to us for a few days after we talked but later we learnt that they planned to kill us by bombing. The Burmese government gave us a card which says we are Indian. We go by that card." An estimated 500 Hindus have fled to Bangladesh since the violence erupted in Myanmar. Like the Rohingya Muslims are identified as Bengali settlers in Myanmar, the Myanmar government identifies the Hindus of its land as Indians. Their misery of identification does not end there. Since the violence erupted in the last week of August, insurgent groups in Myanmar have killed at least 86 members of their community. A Muslim family helped us escape to this camp because we gave them word that we will convert to their religion. × Another Hindu migrant from Burma, Rekha Dhar had the most gruesome account of the fate they encountered. Speaking to WION, she said, "They hacked my husband to death, looted my house and husband’s jewellery store. They had black outfits and faces covered so that we could not identify them. They killed all the people of my area and kept only eight of us women alive. We fled our homes to this place. A Muslim family helped us escape to this camp because we gave them word that we will convert to their religion. My husband had a gold store where he had 30 tolas gold, all of which they looted. Even the little jewellery we had on ourselves or the children, they looted them too. Eight of us women came here but the men could not. They killed them all. We came here walking for two days across the hills. They saved us because we promised to let go of our belief. If we refused, they would have killed us." As scores of Myanmar nationals, including Rohingyas and Hindus flee homes in masses to Bangladesh, prices of essentials such as rice and materials for makeshift huts, such as plastic sheets and bamboos have increased in the bordering regions. The cost of living has increased in Ukhiya. This is one of the most impoverished areas in Bangladesh. The camps of plastic sheets and bamboos are increasing in number every passing hour. This has also made business for some locals here. On the other end, the Myanmar migrants say they are being pushed into misery for no fault of theirs. Whether it is the insurgents or the Myanmar army, these people are simply victims of a bloody civil war in Myanmar.

Hindus of Myanmar suffer as much as the Rohingyas

Thousands of Rohingyas are left stranded in the middle of nowhere as they make desperate attempts to enter Bangladesh in a bid to flee persecution in their homeland in Myanmar.

The death toll from the violence by Rohingya insurgents since Friday has climbed to 98, including &nbsp;80 insurgents and 12 security personnel, the government said. 
&nbsp; 
Local police with the help of Border Guards Bangladesh have pushed back at least 100 Rohingyas since Friday (August 26) and have increased their vigil in the area after tension erupted in the northern Rakhine state in Myanmar, said Chailau Marma, chief of Ukhia police to WION. 
&nbsp; 
Fresh violence reportedly erupted on Friday after members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army launched an attack on Myanmar security forces, resulting in a retaliation in which at least 89 people including a dozen security personnel were killed. 
&nbsp; 
The crackdown by security forces following the attack has prompted thousands of Rohingyas to flee their homeland for security. 
&nbsp; 
Nearly 4,000 to 5,000 Rohingyas have entered Bangladesh between Saturday evening and Sunday morning and have sought shelter at various places including the Balukhali and Leda makeshift camps as well as in other villages, said members of the Rohingya community in Cox&#39;s Bazar.

The fresh influx is being reported through the Tumbru village in Cox&#39;s Bazar. 
&nbsp; 
Police or Border Guard Bangladesh however, could not confirm the numbers. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;Rohingyas will not be able to stay in Myanmar. The military are firing wherever they are finding them,&quot;&nbsp;said Satter Islam, a registered Rohingya refugee in Cox&#39;s Bazar. 
&nbsp; 
Nearly 87,000 Rohingyas migrated into Bangladesh illegally since last October following a crackdown by security forces in Myanmar on the Muslim minorities. 
&nbsp; 
Bangladesh&#39;s&nbsp;foreign ministry summoned the charge d&rsquo;affaires of Myanmar on Saturday and expressed &quot;serious concern at the possibility of recurrence of such a situation&quot;. 
&nbsp; 
Bangladesh has provided nearly 30,000 Rohingyas with refugee status until 1992 but unofficial estimates suggest more than 500,000 Rohingyas are staying in Bangladesh illegally. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;We wish to return to Myanmar if the government provides us nationality and citizenship,&rdquo; said Shafiul Mostafa, another registered Rohingya refugee at Cox&rsquo;s Bazar. 
&nbsp; 
The Rohingya are considered stateless people as the Myanmar government through an amendment in its 1982 Citizenship law revoked nationality and citizenship of the Muslim minority group consisting of roughly 1 million people. 
&nbsp; 
Rohingya members in Bangladesh say that Myanmar&rsquo;s fresh agitation is retaliation to an investigation by an advisory commission led by former UN chief Kofi Annan which urged the Myanmar government to reinstate citizenship of the Rohingya and end persecution on the community.

 
&nbsp;

Nearly 4,000 to 5,000 Rohingyas have entered Bangladesh between Saturday evening and Sunday morning and have sought shelter at various places including the Balukhali and Leda makeshift camps

Thousands of Rohingyas are left stranded in the middle of nowhere as they make desperate attempts to enter Bangladesh in a bid to flee persecution in their homeland in Myanmar. The death toll from the violence by Rohingya insurgents since Friday has climbed to 98, including 80 insurgents and 12 security personnel, the government said. Local police with the help of Border Guards Bangladesh have pushed back at least 100 Rohingyas since Friday (August 26) and have increased their vigil in the area after tension erupted in the northern Rakhine state in Myanmar, said Chailau Marma, chief of Ukhia police to WION. Fresh violence reportedly erupted on Friday after members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army launched an attack on Myanmar security forces, resulting in a retaliation in which at least 89 people including a dozen security personnel were killed. The crackdown by security forces following the attack has prompted thousands of Rohingyas to flee their homeland for security. Nearly 4,000 to 5,000 Rohingyas have entered Bangladesh between Saturday evening and Sunday morning and have sought shelter at various places including the Balukhali and Leda makeshift camps as well as in other villages, said members of the Rohingya community in Cox's Bazar. The fresh influx is being reported through the Tumbru village in Cox's Bazar. Police or Border Guard Bangladesh however, could not confirm the numbers. "Rohingyas will not be able to stay in Myanmar. The military are firing wherever they are finding them," said Satter Islam, a registered Rohingya refugee in Cox's Bazar. Nearly 87,000 Rohingyas migrated into Bangladesh illegally since last October following a crackdown by security forces in Myanmar on the Muslim minorities. Bangladesh's foreign ministry summoned the charge d’affaires of Myanmar on Saturday and expressed "serious concern at the possibility of recurrence of such a situation". Bangladesh has provided nearly 30,000 Rohingyas with refugee status until 1992 but unofficial estimates suggest more than 500,000 Rohingyas are staying in Bangladesh illegally. “We wish to return to Myanmar if the government provides us nationality and citizenship,” said Shafiul Mostafa, another registered Rohingya refugee at Cox’s Bazar. The Rohingya are considered stateless people as the Myanmar government through an amendment in its 1982 Citizenship law revoked nationality and citizenship of the Muslim minority group consisting of roughly 1 million people. Rohingya members in Bangladesh say that Myanmar’s fresh agitation is retaliation to an investigation by an advisory commission led by former UN chief Kofi Annan which urged the Myanmar government to reinstate citizenship of the Rohingya and end persecution on the community.

Myanmar violence: Thousands of Rohingyas enter Bangladesh, more stranded in no man's land

Bangladeshi authorities have suspended a school teacher for forcing students to drink sewer water as punishment at the Gangaprasad Primary School in Zajira, nearly 100 kilometres south of Dhaka. 
&nbsp; 
The schoolteacher Shahnaz Parvin was found guilty of forcing 28 students of grade IV to drink sewer water for not being able to deliver lessons at her class. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;The investigation report found her guilty and that is why we suspended her. She will be punished according to the government employees&#39; disciplinary action and from today (August 22) she has been suspended,&quot; Rahela Rahmat Ullah, local government administrator confirmed to WION. 
&nbsp; 
Authorities ordered an investigation after parents took to the school field demanding justice and suspension of the teacher. Several students fell ill after the incident, which took place on August 16. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;My teacher asked me to fetch a jug of water from the sewer. And then she fed it to the rest of the class,&quot; a student shared with a local newspaper. 
&nbsp; 
Although Bangladesh banned corporal punishment in 2010 through government order, in absence of a legal prohibition and penalty, abusive punishments such as at the Gangaprasad primary school continue to happen. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;There is a lack of monitoring about whether the school authorities have really banned corporal punishment,&quot; said Shabnaaz Zahereen, child protection specialist at Unicef Bangladesh. 
&nbsp; 
A draft Education Act in Bangladesh pending with the government stipulates summary trial for corporal punishment. &quot;Although authorities are aware that there is a need [for the law], somehow it is not in the priority of the government,&quot; she said. 
&nbsp; 
Despite concerns raised by pressure groups, physical reprimanding has been a widespread practice in primary schools. 
&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Investigation has found Shahnaz Parvin guilty of forcing students to drink sewer water as punishment, says a local government administrator

Bangladeshi authorities have suspended a school teacher for forcing students to drink sewer water as punishment at the Gangaprasad Primary School in Zajira, nearly 100 kilometres south of Dhaka. The schoolteacher Shahnaz Parvin was found guilty of forcing 28 students of grade IV to drink sewer water for not being able to deliver lessons at her class. "The investigation report found her guilty and that is why we suspended her. She will be punished according to the government employees' disciplinary action and from today (August 22) she has been suspended," Rahela Rahmat Ullah, local government administrator confirmed to WION. Authorities ordered an investigation after parents took to the school field demanding justice and suspension of the teacher. Several students fell ill after the incident, which took place on August 16. "My teacher asked me to fetch a jug of water from the sewer. And then she fed it to the rest of the class," a student shared with a local newspaper. Although Bangladesh banned corporal punishment in 2010 through government order, in absence of a legal prohibition and penalty, abusive punishments such as at the Gangaprasad primary school continue to happen. "There is a lack of monitoring about whether the school authorities have really banned corporal punishment," said Shabnaaz Zahereen, child protection specialist at Unicef Bangladesh. A draft Education Act in Bangladesh pending with the government stipulates summary trial for corporal punishment. "Although authorities are aware that there is a need [for the law], somehow it is not in the priority of the government," she said. Despite concerns raised by pressure groups, physical reprimanding has been a widespread practice in primary schools.

Bangladesh suspends schoolteacher for forcing students to drink sewer water

The barring of foreigners from a popular Dhaka restaurant this week has caused frustration among some visitors, and reminded them of the security crisis in the Bangladeshi capital. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Due to Holey Artisan incident and after receiving a notice from our landlord; we are not allowing any foreigners in our restaurant. We are ashamed and pitiful from our soul for this message. Please accept our apologies and wait till further notice,&rdquo; reads the notice hanging from the gate outside the Lake Terrace restaurant in Dhaka. 
&nbsp; 
A German tourist, who was refused entry into the restaurant, told WION, &ldquo;I was never thinking about the incident in 2016 but this message reminded me and now I am a little bit more tensed.&rdquo; 
&nbsp; 
Many restaurant owners here in Dhaka said they are still recovering from the loss they suffered in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attack on Dhaka&rsquo;s Holey Artisan Bakery that killed 20 diners, 17 of them foreigners, in July 2016. 
&nbsp; 
Some Dhaka restaurants have seen a drop in visitors of more than 20 per cent.&nbsp;

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<h5>I do not want foreigners in my restaurant if that makes my business a target for terrorists,&#39; said one restaurant owner who asked not to be named</h5>
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&ldquo;It was slow during the first couple of months (after the terrorist attack). People were scared. But after two months, people got rid of their fear. They started coming again,&rdquo; said Arif Shafique, one of the owners of Tokyo Express, a popular Japanese restaurant. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Some restaurateurs told WION they are apprehensive of a second attack, and that they do not know when or how it will take place.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I do not want foreigners in my restaurant if that makes my business a target for terrorists,&rdquo; said one restaurant owner who asked not to be named.

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A year after the audacious terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, Bangladeshis ask two questions: Are we safer today than we were a year before? And where do we go from here? (WION)
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Dhaka&#39;s restaurants have beefed up their security and screening systems so that their patrons feel safer. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;If you are inviting somebody to a space where you are responsible then you have to do as much as possible to ensure that people are safe and secure, not exclude or discriminate,&rdquo; said Ali Arsalan, one of the owners of the Holey Artisan Bakery. 
&nbsp; 
Other foreigners WION spoke to said they do not feel unsafe.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I have gone out to a few restaurants and I really enjoyed them. I live in the Gulshan area and there is a lot of security,&rdquo; said Mariko, a US tourist in Dhaka. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;I feel rather secured. I can walk freely and I don&rsquo;t feel any problem,&rdquo; said Wim, a Dutch expatriate in Dhaka. 
&nbsp; 
They say security is a global crisis and not the concern of any one country. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;I think discouraging a German national (from visiting the Lake Terrace restaurant) is an overreaction. One solitary German being refused should not determine the safety of a city or that terror still looms large,&rdquo; said Shantanu Mukherji, a security analyst in New Delhi, India. 
&nbsp; 
To think Bangladesh will have a zero-terror future would be a mistaken perception when western countries with very sophisticated intelligence and security systems are struggling to contain terror, he told WION. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;We should be mentally prepared to see one or two attacks because the sleeper cells or the terror outfits like Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh are waiting in the wings to strike,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Bangladesh&rsquo;s export revenues as of April 2017 were $6 billion short of the financial year 2015-16 which saw an earning of $34.4 billion.&nbsp;

Many foreign investors cancelled trips to and moved orders out of the country in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Overall visitors have gone down. Numbers are down by may be about 20 per cent plus based on sales and revenue. I have heard from friends in foreign companies that if 10 expats have left, only six of them have been replaced. So you can assume that there is a drop there,&rdquo; Arsalan told WION. 
&nbsp; 
Businessmen in Dhaka say it is a matter of time before confidence is rekindled in visitors, locals and foreigners alike, and much depends on how they and the government take steps to ensure their security and comfort. 
&nbsp;

Some restaurants have seen a drop in visitors of more than 20 per cent

The barring of foreigners from a popular Dhaka restaurant this week has caused frustration among some visitors, and reminded them of the security crisis in the Bangladeshi capital. “Due to Holey Artisan incident and after receiving a notice from our landlord; we are not allowing any foreigners in our restaurant. We are ashamed and pitiful from our soul for this message. Please accept our apologies and wait till further notice,” reads the notice hanging from the gate outside the Lake Terrace restaurant in Dhaka. A German tourist, who was refused entry into the restaurant, told WION, “I was never thinking about the incident in 2016 but this message reminded me and now I am a little bit more tensed.” Many restaurant owners here in Dhaka said they are still recovering from the loss they suffered in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attack on Dhaka’s Holey Artisan Bakery that killed 20 diners, 17 of them foreigners, in July 2016. Some Dhaka restaurants have seen a drop in visitors of more than 20 per cent. I do not want foreigners in my restaurant if that makes my business a target for terrorists,' said one restaurant owner who asked not to be named × “It was slow during the first couple of months (after the terrorist attack). People were scared. But after two months, people got rid of their fear. They started coming again,” said Arif Shafique, one of the owners of Tokyo Express, a popular Japanese restaurant. Some restaurateurs told WION they are apprehensive of a second attack, and that they do not know when or how it will take place. “I do not want foreigners in my restaurant if that makes my business a target for terrorists,” said one restaurant owner who asked not to be named. A year after the audacious terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, Bangladeshis ask two questions: Are we safer today than we were a year before? And where do we go from here? (WION) × Dhaka's restaurants have beefed up their security and screening systems so that their patrons feel safer. “If you are inviting somebody to a space where you are responsible then you have to do as much as possible to ensure that people are safe and secure, not exclude or discriminate,” said Ali Arsalan, one of the owners of the Holey Artisan Bakery. Other foreigners WION spoke to said they do not feel unsafe. “I have gone out to a few restaurants and I really enjoyed them. I live in the Gulshan area and there is a lot of security,” said Mariko, a US tourist in Dhaka. “I feel rather secured. I can walk freely and I don’t feel any problem,” said Wim, a Dutch expatriate in Dhaka. They say security is a global crisis and not the concern of any one country. “I think discouraging a German national (from visiting the Lake Terrace restaurant) is an overreaction. One solitary German being refused should not determine the safety of a city or that terror still looms large,” said Shantanu Mukherji, a security analyst in New Delhi, India. To think Bangladesh will have a zero-terror future would be a mistaken perception when western countries with very sophisticated intelligence and security systems are struggling to contain terror, he told WION. “We should be mentally prepared to see one or two attacks because the sleeper cells or the terror outfits like Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh are waiting in the wings to strike,” he added. Bangladesh’s export revenues as of April 2017 were $6 billion short of the financial year 2015-16 which saw an earning of $34.4 billion. Many foreign investors cancelled trips to and moved orders out of the country in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery. “Overall visitors have gone down. Numbers are down by may be about 20 per cent plus based on sales and revenue. I have heard from friends in foreign companies that if 10 expats have left, only six of them have been replaced. So you can assume that there is a drop there,” Arsalan told WION. Businessmen in Dhaka say it is a matter of time before confidence is rekindled in visitors, locals and foreigners alike, and much depends on how they and the government take steps to ensure their security and comfort.

WION in Dhaka: Slow turnover at restaurants one year after cafe attack

A year after the terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan bakery in Dhaka -- in which 20 civilians, mostly foreigners, died -- police are yet to complete their investigation into the attack.

Bangladesh&#39;s interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan said on June 28 that the authorities would file a chargesheet soon but investigators told WION that it could take till at least the end of the year.

Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the attack, which caught Bangladesh&#39;s security and intelligence agencies off guard, on the bakery on July 1, 2016&nbsp;.

Since then Bangladesh&#39;s security forces have carried out at least 12 counter-terrorist operations in which 46 persons were either killed or committed suicide, Sahely Ferdous, assistant inspector general of Bangladesh Police, told WION.&nbsp;

More than a hundred people have disappeared since last July, some of who&nbsp;may have joined radical outfits, she said.

Statistics from the centre however vary with those the country&#39;s Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes Unit shared with WION.&nbsp;

The specialised unit on counter-terrorism said 65 people were killed in counter-terror operations and more than 100 suspected members of terrorist outfit neo-Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh have been arrested since July last year. According to them, the number of missing youths who are feared to have joined radical outfits is not more than 10.

The variation in the data is worrying, particularly when a growing number of youths are disappearing in Bangladesh.&nbsp;

At least 91 people were picked up by security forces in Bangladesh last year, reports human rights organisation Odhikar. &nbsp; &nbsp;

&quot;After the incident at Holey Artisan, some people were arrested or abducted by law enforcement agencies only on suspicion,&quot; says Nur Khan, a human rights activist.&nbsp;

Khan&#39;s remark resonates with what the father of missing 27-year-old Imam Hossain says.&nbsp;

Imam was one of three youths who disappeared on June 3 this year.&nbsp;

&quot;I do not know who took my son away in broad daylight. Three youths, one disappeared at 9 in the morning and two others at 5.30 that evening. If they committed crime, they would disappear together,&quot; said Billal Hossain, Imam&#39;s father.

Imam is the elder of two sons and was his family&#39;s only breadwinner.&nbsp;

After graduating in electrical and electronics engineering from Dhaka&#39;s BRAC University, he was working at Telex Limited, an IT company in the capital.&nbsp;

Imam and his friend Hasan Mahmud had gone to meet Rashid Alam, a maternal uncle of Kamal Hossain&#39;s, who worked in the same company as them and had disappeared that morning.&nbsp;

Imam and Mahmud had gone to give a copy of Kamal&#39;s CV to Alam so that he could file a police complaint, said Faisal Ahmed, Imam&#39;s younger brother.&nbsp;

They were to return to work to break their fast that evening but have been incommunicado ever since.&nbsp;

Police told WION they are investigating the disappearance of Imam and his colleagues but that they are yet to make any progress.

&quot;Family members of those terrorists who were killed at the Holey Artisan Bakery complained the same thing that law enforcement agencies picked up their boys but afterwards it was proved that they left their houses to join terrorist groups,&quot; said Monirul Islam, chief of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes Unit in Dhaka.

A year after the horrifying terrorist&nbsp;attack on the bakery, as Bangladesh grieves, the line between the &quot;disappeared&quot; youths joining radical outfits and being picked up by the security forces has largely become blurred.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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<div class="media-description">
On this the broadcast, WION examines what has changed in Bangladesh since the deadly terror attack in Dhaka a year ago (WION)
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&nbsp;

One year after the Dhaka cafe attack, families are worried amidst growing reports of youths disappearing into radical outfits or secret state facilities

A year after the terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan bakery in Dhaka -- in which 20 civilians, mostly foreigners, died -- police are yet to complete their investigation into the attack. Bangladesh's interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan said on June 28 that the authorities would file a chargesheet soon but investigators told WION that it could take till at least the end of the year. Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the attack, which caught Bangladesh's security and intelligence agencies off guard, on the bakery on July 1, 2016 . Since then Bangladesh's security forces have carried out at least 12 counter-terrorist operations in which 46 persons were either killed or committed suicide, Sahely Ferdous, assistant inspector general of Bangladesh Police, told WION. More than a hundred people have disappeared since last July, some of who may have joined radical outfits, she said. Statistics from the centre however vary with those the country's Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes Unit shared with WION. The specialised unit on counter-terrorism said 65 people were killed in counter-terror operations and more than 100 suspected members of terrorist outfit neo-Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh have been arrested since July last year. According to them, the number of missing youths who are feared to have joined radical outfits is not more than 10. The variation in the data is worrying, particularly when a growing number of youths are disappearing in Bangladesh. At least 91 people were picked up by security forces in Bangladesh last year, reports human rights organisation Odhikar. "After the incident at Holey Artisan, some people were arrested or abducted by law enforcement agencies only on suspicion," says Nur Khan, a human rights activist. Khan's remark resonates with what the father of missing 27-year-old Imam Hossain says. Imam was one of three youths who disappeared on June 3 this year. "I do not know who took my son away in broad daylight. Three youths, one disappeared at 9 in the morning and two others at 5.30 that evening. If they committed crime, they would disappear together," said Billal Hossain, Imam's father. Imam is the elder of two sons and was his family's only breadwinner. After graduating in electrical and electronics engineering from Dhaka's BRAC University, he was working at Telex Limited, an IT company in the capital. Imam and his friend Hasan Mahmud had gone to meet Rashid Alam, a maternal uncle of Kamal Hossain's, who worked in the same company as them and had disappeared that morning. Imam and Mahmud had gone to give a copy of Kamal's CV to Alam so that he could file a police complaint, said Faisal Ahmed, Imam's younger brother. They were to return to work to break their fast that evening but have been incommunicado ever since. Police told WION they are investigating the disappearance of Imam and his colleagues but that they are yet to make any progress. "Family members of those terrorists who were killed at the Holey Artisan Bakery complained the same thing that law enforcement agencies picked up their boys but afterwards it was proved that they left their houses to join terrorist groups," said Monirul Islam, chief of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes Unit in Dhaka. A year after the horrifying terrorist attack on the bakery, as Bangladesh grieves, the line between the "disappeared" youths joining radical outfits and being picked up by the security forces has largely become blurred. On this the broadcast, WION examines what has changed in Bangladesh since the deadly terror attack in Dhaka a year ago (WION) ×

Where are Bangladesh's missing youths?

At least two persons were killed and 20,000 houses were damaged in Cox&#39;s Bazar in Cyclone Mora that hit the Bangladesh coast at 6:30 am today, Ali Hossain, deputy commissioner of Cox&#39;s Bazar district confirmed to&nbsp;WION.

Assessment of the losses and damages will continue throughout the day. Bangladesh Meteorological Department has confirmed that the cyclone has moved past the Bangladesh territory.&nbsp;

A windspeed of 135 kilometres per hour was recorded at Teknaf, in the southernmost part of Bangladesh, which eventually lost its strength as it moved in the northerly direction, said Shamsuddin Ahmed, chief of Bangladesh Meteorological Department. The cyclone is likely to go over to northeast India in parts of Mizoram and Meghalaya.

Bad weather is likely to continue in Bangladesh for the entire day with rainfall in different parts of the country. The met office hoisted a danger signal level 10, which meant the cyclone carried the highest threat level that in the past has lasting devastation during tropical cyclones Sidr and Aila in 2007 and 2009.

The cyclone did not have an as devastating impact as was feared, said Zillur Rahman Chowdhury, deputy commissioner of Chittagong. &quot;We are getting reports that some houses were partially affected. Some trees have been uprooted. There is no loss of life of either human beings or animals,&quot; Chowdhury told WION. Authorities are still getting details from the field administration.

The disaster management department had earlier reported about evacuating 300,000 people from their homes in 10 districts to cyclone shelters ahead of the landfall. Announcements were made in advance to alert people to move to safe locations since yesterday. Evacuation plans were taken in 19 districts in the coastal belt across Bangladesh.

&quot;People have now started returning to their homes,&quot; said Syed M Hashim, spokesperson at the disaster management department.

Authorities had earlier suspended flights in Chittagong and Cox&#39;s Bazar and water transports in the coastal lines to avoid casualties. Local journalists reported disruption of telecommunication networks in Teknaf and Cox&#39;s Bazar.

&quot;The cyclone is not stronger than Sidr, but its threat level is not negligible,&quot; Ahmed told WION earlier.

(WION)

Bangladesh Meteorological Department has confirmed that the cyclone has moved past the Bangladesh territory

At least two persons were killed and 20,000 houses were damaged in Cox's Bazar in Cyclone Mora that hit the Bangladesh coast at 6:30 am today, Ali Hossain, deputy commissioner of Cox's Bazar district confirmed to WION. Assessment of the losses and damages will continue throughout the day. Bangladesh Meteorological Department has confirmed that the cyclone has moved past the Bangladesh territory. A windspeed of 135 kilometres per hour was recorded at Teknaf, in the southernmost part of Bangladesh, which eventually lost its strength as it moved in the northerly direction, said Shamsuddin Ahmed, chief of Bangladesh Meteorological Department. The cyclone is likely to go over to northeast India in parts of Mizoram and Meghalaya. Bad weather is likely to continue in Bangladesh for the entire day with rainfall in different parts of the country. The met office hoisted a danger signal level 10, which meant the cyclone carried the highest threat level that in the past has lasting devastation during tropical cyclones Sidr and Aila in 2007 and 2009. The cyclone did not have an as devastating impact as was feared, said Zillur Rahman Chowdhury, deputy commissioner of Chittagong. "We are getting reports that some houses were partially affected. Some trees have been uprooted. There is no loss of life of either human beings or animals," Chowdhury told WION. Authorities are still getting details from the field administration. The disaster management department had earlier reported about evacuating 300,000 people from their homes in 10 districts to cyclone shelters ahead of the landfall. Announcements were made in advance to alert people to move to safe locations since yesterday. Evacuation plans were taken in 19 districts in the coastal belt across Bangladesh. "People have now started returning to their homes," said Syed M Hashim, spokesperson at the disaster management department. Authorities had earlier suspended flights in Chittagong and Cox's Bazar and water transports in the coastal lines to avoid casualties. Local journalists reported disruption of telecommunication networks in Teknaf and Cox's Bazar. "The cyclone is not stronger than Sidr, but its threat level is not negligible," Ahmed told WION earlier. (WION)

Cyclone Mora claims two lives, damages 20,000 houses in Bangladesh

The Philippines military said on Monday it was close to retaking a southern city held for a seventh day by Islamist militants, as helicopters unleashed more rockets on positions held by the rebels aligned with Islamic State.

The clashes in Marawi city with the Maute militia, a group hardly known a year ago, has become the biggest security challenge of Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s 11-month presidency, with gunmen resisting air and ground assaults and still in control of central parts of a city of 200,000 people.

The military said the rebels may be getting help from &quot;sympathetic elements&quot; and fighters they had freed from jail during the rampage that started last&nbsp;Tuesday and caught the military by surprise.

&quot;Our ground commanders have assured that the end is almost there,&quot; military spokesman, Restituto Padilla told reporters.

&quot;We can control who comes in and who comes out, who moves around and who doesn&#39;t. And we&#39;re trying to isolate all these pockets of resistance.&quot;

More than 100 people have been killed, most of them militants, according to the military, and most of the city&#39;s residents have fled. The military said the Maute group was still present in nine of the city&#39;s 96 Barangays, or communities.

The Maute group&#39;s ability to fight off the military for so long will add to fears that Islamic State&#39;s radical ideology is spreading in the southern Philippines and it could become a haven for militants from Indonesia, Malaysia and beyond.

The government believes the Maute carried out their assault before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to capture the attention of Islamic State and earn recognition as a Southeast Asian affiliate.

The military&#39;s estimates of the size of the rebel force and the extent of its occupation have fluctuated each day. It has maintained throughout that it is in full control of the situation and says supporters of the Maute were making exaggerated claims on social media.

According to witnesses, men with black headbands typical of Islamic State were seen on city streets in recent days. A photograph taken by a resident shows 10 men carrying assault rifles and dressed entirely in black.

A Reuters photographer saw an Islamic State flag in an oil drum in an abandoned street on Monday, where chickens roamed in front of damaged shops and homes.

&nbsp;

LOCKDOWN

Iligan City, 38 kilometres&nbsp;(24 miles) away, was overflowing with evacuees and was on lockdown over fears that fighters had sneaked out of Marawi by blending in with civilians.

&quot;We don&#39;t want what&#39;s happening in Marawi to spill over in Iligan,&quot; said Colonel Alex Aduca, chief of the Fourth Mechanized Infantry Battalion.

Sixty-one militants, 20 members of the security forces and 19 civilians have been killed since Tuesday, when Maute rebels went on the rampage after a botched military operation to arrest Isnilon Hapilon, who the government believes is a point man for Islamic State in the Philippines.

Some troops tried to eliminate Maute snipers on Monday as others guarded deserted streets, taken back block-by-block. Helicopters circled the lakeside city and smoke poured out of some buildings. Artillery explosions echoed.

Though most people have left, thousands are stranded, worried they could be intercepted by militants at checkpoints on routes out of the city.

There were still bodies of civilians in Marawi and residents urged the military to halt air strikes, said Zia Alonto Adiong, a politician involved in evacuation efforts.

&quot;The anticipation of death is worse than death itself,&quot; he told news channel ANC. &quot;We appeal to our military forces to do a different approach.&quot;

The military said air strikes were taken on &quot;known and verified enemy positions&quot;.

&quot;We are using precision ammunition in our surgical air strikes,&quot; said another army spokesman, Colonal Edgard Arevalo. &quot;We have highly skilled and trained pilots delivering the payload.&quot;

Bodies of what appeared to be executed civilians were found in a ravine outside Marawi on Sunday as the crisis took a more sinister turn. Most of the eight men were shot in the head and some had bound hands.

Duterte imposed martial law last week on Mindanao, an island of 22 million people where both Marawi and Iligan are located, to quell the unrest and wipe out militancy.

He made an unconventional offer on Saturday to Muslim separatists and communist rebels to join his fight against extremists, and said he would give them the same pay and benefits as government troops.

(Reuters)

The Met Office has cautioned, the wind speed within 64 kilometres of the landfall of the cyclone will be between 89 and 117 kilometres per hour

The Philippines military said on Monday it was close to retaking a southern city held for a seventh day by Islamist militants, as helicopters unleashed more rockets on positions held by the rebels aligned with Islamic State. The clashes in Marawi city with the Maute militia, a group hardly known a year ago, has become the biggest security challenge of Rodrigo Duterte's 11-month presidency, with gunmen resisting air and ground assaults and still in control of central parts of a city of 200,000 people. The military said the rebels may be getting help from "sympathetic elements" and fighters they had freed from jail during the rampage that started last Tuesday and caught the military by surprise. "Our ground commanders have assured that the end is almost there," military spokesman, Restituto Padilla told reporters. "We can control who comes in and who comes out, who moves around and who doesn't. And we're trying to isolate all these pockets of resistance." More than 100 people have been killed, most of them militants, according to the military, and most of the city's residents have fled. The military said the Maute group was still present in nine of the city's 96 Barangays, or communities. The Maute group's ability to fight off the military for so long will add to fears that Islamic State's radical ideology is spreading in the southern Philippines and it could become a haven for militants from Indonesia, Malaysia and beyond. The government believes the Maute carried out their assault before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to capture the attention of Islamic State and earn recognition as a Southeast Asian affiliate. The military's estimates of the size of the rebel force and the extent of its occupation have fluctuated each day. It has maintained throughout that it is in full control of the situation and says supporters of the Maute were making exaggerated claims on social media. According to witnesses, men with black headbands typical of Islamic State were seen on city streets in recent days. A photograph taken by a resident shows 10 men carrying assault rifles and dressed entirely in black. A Reuters photographer saw an Islamic State flag in an oil drum in an abandoned street on Monday, where chickens roamed in front of damaged shops and homes. LOCKDOWN Iligan City, 38 kilometres (24 miles) away, was overflowing with evacuees and was on lockdown over fears that fighters had sneaked out of Marawi by blending in with civilians. "We don't want what's happening in Marawi to spill over in Iligan," said Colonel Alex Aduca, chief of the Fourth Mechanized Infantry Battalion. Sixty-one militants, 20 members of the security forces and 19 civilians have been killed since Tuesday, when Maute rebels went on the rampage after a botched military operation to arrest Isnilon Hapilon, who the government believes is a point man for Islamic State in the Philippines. Some troops tried to eliminate Maute snipers on Monday as others guarded deserted streets, taken back block-by-block. Helicopters circled the lakeside city and smoke poured out of some buildings. Artillery explosions echoed. Though most people have left, thousands are stranded, worried they could be intercepted by militants at checkpoints on routes out of the city. There were still bodies of civilians in Marawi and residents urged the military to halt air strikes, said Zia Alonto Adiong, a politician involved in evacuation efforts. "The anticipation of death is worse than death itself," he told news channel ANC. "We appeal to our military forces to do a different approach." The military said air strikes were taken on "known and verified enemy positions". "We are using precision ammunition in our surgical air strikes," said another army spokesman, Colonal Edgard Arevalo. "We have highly skilled and trained pilots delivering the payload." Bodies of what appeared to be executed civilians were found in a ravine outside Marawi on Sunday as the crisis took a more sinister turn. Most of the eight men were shot in the head and some had bound hands. Duterte imposed martial law last week on Mindanao, an island of 22 million people where both Marawi and Iligan are located, to quell the unrest and wipe out militancy. He made an unconventional offer on Saturday to Muslim separatists and communist rebels to join his fight against extremists, and said he would give them the same pay and benefits as government troops. (Reuters)

Cyclone Mora hits Bangladesh coast

I have been following anti-terrorist operations of the security forces closely, particularly since the Dhaka cafe attack in July 2016, which killed at least 20 civilians. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State overnight, before the Bangladesh government and its security agencies could confirm the identities of the terrorists inside the Holey Artisan Bakery, at the diplomatic area of Dhaka. 
&nbsp; 
The police since then have intensified their counter terrorist drive across the country. In six months between December 2016 and May 2017, at least <a href="http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2017/04/01/four-children-among-seven-killed-in-moulvibazar-militant-hideout">32 suspected terrorists</a> have been killed. Five of them were children and four women.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Four of those killed are below the age of 10 including an infant.

Following the July cafe attack, modus operandi of the security forces have changed. Specialised units of the security forces, mostly the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes Unit carry out &quot;block raids&quot;, where they cordon off an area for several hours that would span a few days and subsequently result in suspected terrorists blowing only themselves up in &quot;suicide blasts&quot;.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
As someone following the global terrorist activities, I have observed that most suicide blasts by extremists target individuals they consider infidels. 
&nbsp; 
Under current circumstances, the police crackdown on militancy in the country has two-pronged sentiments, 1. Fear in people&#39;s&nbsp;minds allow such police actions in the hope that this will curb militancy, and 2. Nature of these operations prompts curiosities. 
&nbsp; 
Media, including myself, can report only the narrative presented by the security forces. The operational areas are off-limits to civilians and journalists because of risk they pose to lives. 
&nbsp; 
Once they are killed, no knowledge about their whereabouts or family is available. In some <a href="http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/crime/2017/04/30/jhenaidah-militant-abdullah-among-deceased-operation-eagle-hunt">cases</a> even the police have not been able to identify the persons they suspected as terrorists.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Human rights organisation say that the style of the operations indicate that the security forces are pursuing a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-5-members-of-a-family-suspected-of-links-with-neo-jmb-killed-in-police-raid-15459">complete elimination of the suspects</a>, which prevents media from getting any more&nbsp;information beyond what is officially provided.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
In &ldquo;Operation Hit Back&rdquo; at Moulvibazar, Sylhet on March 29, the police cordoned off the &ldquo;militant den&rdquo; for three days. They said there has been exchange of fire but eventually eight suspects, including four children below the age of ten killed themselves in suicide explosions. 
&nbsp; 
One of the children was an infant.&nbsp;

Platoons of policemen were deployed. What efforts were made to save the lives of the children in the three days? Are we then resorting to the narrative of compromising a few lives, in other words, human rights for the &quot;greater good&quot; of the society? 
&nbsp; 
In an earlier operation in Sylhet codenamed &ldquo;Operation Twilight&rdquo; as well as in &ldquo;Operation Hit Back&rdquo;, &ldquo;militant dens&rdquo; were planted with improvised explosive devices. Security personnel said the operations were sensitive because the buildings were planted with IED. Yet, the security forces were able to <a href="http://www.thedailystar.net/country/sporadic-gunshots-mark-day-3-sylhet-militant-den-raid-1381606">fire rocket launchers</a>&nbsp;at one of the buildings and continue exchanging fires disregarding the possibility that the terrorist could blow up the building. 
&nbsp; 
The nature of the anti-terrorist operations in Bangladesh since last July have been deadly and confrontational. The question is whether the confrontation could have been avoided. 
&nbsp; 
Bangladesh is known for being a tolerant Muslim-majority nation, where the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina thrives on the secular principle of the state. 
&nbsp; 
Although radicalisation has shown its ferocity through terror plots in the form of countrywide explosions and attacks waged at cultural programmes and political rallies in early 2000, the suicide explosions and confrontation between extremists and security forces in recent months have been unprecedented for the people of Bangladesh. It is indeed a grave concern how this group of radicals evolved in a country that has not seen such frequency of violence in the past. 
&nbsp; 
Extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances alarmed human rights organisations and civil society in Bangladesh. This has ensued for nearly a decade since the government of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia introduced paramilitary force Rapid Action Battalion. 
&nbsp; 
Human right groups report that such actions have not stopped entirely but the focus has largely shifted to the area of militancy and anti-terror raids. Some even question if this is the new face of extrajudicial killing.

(WION)

Bangladesh?s growing anti-terror raids raise concerns

I have been following anti-terrorist operations of the security forces closely, particularly since the Dhaka cafe attack in July 2016, which killed at least 20 civilians. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State overnight, before the Bangladesh government and its security agencies could confirm the identities of the terrorists inside the Holey Artisan Bakery, at the diplomatic area of Dhaka. The police since then have intensified their counter terrorist drive across the country. In six months between December 2016 and May 2017, at least 32 suspected terrorists have been killed. Five of them were children and four women. Four of those killed are below the age of 10 including an infant. Following the July cafe attack, modus operandi of the security forces have changed. Specialised units of the security forces, mostly the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes Unit carry out "block raids", where they cordon off an area for several hours that would span a few days and subsequently result in suspected terrorists blowing only themselves up in "suicide blasts". As someone following the global terrorist activities, I have observed that most suicide blasts by extremists target individuals they consider infidels. Under current circumstances, the police crackdown on militancy in the country has two-pronged sentiments, 1. Fear in people's minds allow such police actions in the hope that this will curb militancy, and 2. Nature of these operations prompts curiosities. Media, including myself, can report only the narrative presented by the security forces. The operational areas are off-limits to civilians and journalists because of risk they pose to lives. Once they are killed, no knowledge about their whereabouts or family is available. In some cases even the police have not been able to identify the persons they suspected as terrorists. Human rights organisation say that the style of the operations indicate that the security forces are pursuing a complete elimination of the suspects, which prevents media from getting any more information beyond what is officially provided. In “Operation Hit Back” at Moulvibazar, Sylhet on March 29, the police cordoned off the “militant den” for three days. They said there has been exchange of fire but eventually eight suspects, including four children below the age of ten killed themselves in suicide explosions. One of the children was an infant. Platoons of policemen were deployed. What efforts were made to save the lives of the children in the three days? Are we then resorting to the narrative of compromising a few lives, in other words, human rights for the "greater good" of the society? In an earlier operation in Sylhet codenamed “Operation Twilight” as well as in “Operation Hit Back”, “militant dens” were planted with improvised explosive devices. Security personnel said the operations were sensitive because the buildings were planted with IED. Yet, the security forces were able to fire rocket launchers at one of the buildings and continue exchanging fires disregarding the possibility that the terrorist could blow up the building. The nature of the anti-terrorist operations in Bangladesh since last July have been deadly and confrontational. The question is whether the confrontation could have been avoided. Bangladesh is known for being a tolerant Muslim-majority nation, where the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina thrives on the secular principle of the state. Although radicalisation has shown its ferocity through terror plots in the form of countrywide explosions and attacks waged at cultural programmes and political rallies in early 2000, the suicide explosions and confrontation between extremists and security forces in recent months have been unprecedented for the people of Bangladesh. It is indeed a grave concern how this group of radicals evolved in a country that has not seen such frequency of violence in the past. Extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances alarmed human rights organisations and civil society in Bangladesh. This has ensued for nearly a decade since the government of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia introduced paramilitary force Rapid Action Battalion. Human right groups report that such actions have not stopped entirely but the focus has largely shifted to the area of militancy and anti-terror raids. Some even question if this is the new face of extrajudicial killing. (WION)

Growing anti-terror raids in Bangladesh raise human right concerns

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Zee News Rajasthan

Editor

Saad Hammadi

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