Just when everyone thought that getting rid of Saddam, Gadaffi, Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda was a sign that terror was all but eradicated, Islamic State emerged. While they haven’t claimed responsibility for every single attack of terror around the world in recent times, it’s no doubt that they have been indirectly responsible for it. The war on terror has taken a different turn.
Take the recent attack in Bangladesh for instance. Two days ago, gunmen stormed a café in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone and ended up killing 20 foreigners, including a 19 year old Indian girl. The gunmen assured the locals that they were safe, only killing the foreigners. Most of the victims were found with their throat cut open. Many policemen were also killed, while commandos killed six attackers and captured one. This happened in the wake of the bombings in Turkey, just a few days before. Although, IS hasn’t yet claimed responsibility for the Turkey bombings, the government there seems to think it was them, according to some evidence.
IS’s ‘bravado’ or arrogance in standing up to the powers that aim to gut terror groups for their militancy, has inspired millions of people around the world. Every country that has been facing some sort of turmoil, in terms of militancy and insurgency, gets a shot in the arm through the IS network. The group is now moving beyond the Middle East, which is a scary prospect, especially in countries that do not have the proper security network to identify potential terrorists before they cross borders. This is also more than just Islamist terror. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was adamant that the militants were un-Islamist, based on the fact that they committed crimes during Ramadan and while the evening prayer was underway. But the comments by the local workers at the café who were let go by the militants tell a different story. They say that the militants told them the foreigners were killed because of their clothes and their penchant for alcohol and other forbidden pleasures which was impeding the spread of Islam.
The increasing incidents of insurgency and extremism in Bangladesh began when the government started cracking down on Islamists, killing around nine suspected Islamists and also banned the biggest Islamist party, Jammat-e-Islami. The rebellion in the form of militancy was expected.
Terror has found a new modus operandi now. Gone are the days when there was an all-out war. Now one can trigger a few bombs outside an airport, or storm a café and kill foreigners. This is enough to create chaos. At the café, the militants used the victims’ phones to post gruesome images of the bodies to social media. They are using every means necessary to spread terror.
It’s working. The England and Wales Cricket Board has planned to cancel their trip to Bangladesh. The local garment industry, which supplies products to countries around the world, is now living in fear that the industry will suffer a huge blow from those countries that will start viewing Bangladesh as a place where terrorists thrive. Bangladesh can descend into economic chaos and this is a great breeding ground for further terrorism project and groups.
Islamic State has got their agenda sorted. It’s up to the rest of the world to start putting measures in place to curb this. But what about third world countries like India? Terror isn’t creeping into the country over the borders. It’s already here. It’s everywhere, just waiting to happen.
