In fragile democracies like Bangladesh, populist regimes arguably manipulate public notion to consolidate energy which exemplifies Noam Chomsky’s “manufacturing consent” concept – which means how public opinion is formed to serve ruling elites. Amongst few others, Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule epitomized this tactic that used counter-terrorism campaigns to justify and maintain her authoritarianism primarily by way of exploiting safety crises to suppress opposition and dissent in Bangladesh. The co-optation of intellectuals and teachers aligned with the ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) was central to this technique. The federal government additionally absorbed people from outdoors its ideological base which mirrored the regime’s distinctive capacity to fabricate passive compliance of the dissent intellectuals. This helped broadly to legitimize repressive state actions within the identify of countering terrorism and non secular extremism primarily exploiting the police and different safety organizations. Regardless of her consolidated energy she was in the end ousted and fled to India on 5 August 2024 amid an unprecedented student-led mass rebellion. Now, India is unwilling to extradite her.
Such co-optation could be described as an “mental honey entice,” the place teachers are subtly enticed into endorsing state narratives beneath the pretext of nationwide safety. In Bangladesh, analysis on extremism was usually steered towards validating authorities insurance policies somewhat than critically analyzing their implications. Students had been inspired to deal with ideological components behind radicalization whereas avoiding systemic critiques, such because the function of state repression or structural inequalities. In Bangladesh, the notorious August 21, 2004, grenade assault on Hasina’s rally turned a cornerstone of producing counter-terrorism narrative. The AL flaunted the tragedy to border the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Occasion (BNP) as a terrorist group and non secular merchants to consolidate political benefit.
Judicial processes, extensively criticized as politically influenced, additional entrenched the narrative, enabling Hasina’s authorities to erode democratic establishments and manipulate electoral processes. The specter of Islamic fundamentalism additionally served as a handy instrument to consolidate energy. Hasina positioned herself as the only real guardian of secularism, branding opposition events such because the BNP as existential threats to nationwide stability as her followers are sometimes heard chanting “So long as Sheikh Hasina leads the nation, Bangladesh won’t lose its manner.
Below the pretext of counter-terrorism, Hasina’s authorities notably expanded the Fast Motion Battalion (RAB) which was initially established to fight crime and extremism by BNP more and more turned instruments of political repression usually termed as Loss of life Squad. These actions had been framed inside a nationwide safety narrative, additional strengthened by mental discourse aligned with state insurance policies. Substantial state funding in counter-terrorism analysis and coaching establishments supplied a semblance of legitimacy however usually served twin functions: consolidating state management and incentivizing mental conformity. For instance, the 2023 Ministry of Finance funds for counter-terrorism included tasks to improve RAB’s technological capacities. Worldwide collaborations facilitated coaching applications.
Her authorities persistently portrayed opposition protests as extremist acts and suppressed dissents particularly to realize electoral profit tagging these actions as reforms and accountability had been dismissed to justify violent crackdowns on their actions. Although there have been some seen Islamic festivals – e.g., Qawwali a style of Muslim devotional songs sung primarily by Sufi devotees – and gatherings following Hasina’s fall, critics argue that these had been largely symbolic which arose from the shortage of earlier alternatives to have interaction in non secular actions. These occasions had been primarily performative, primarily supposed to counter the narrative of anti-Islamists. In consequence, the nation has but to witness any vital rise in Islamist fundamentalism, which seemingly disproves the pro-regime intellectuals’ argument that Islamist terrorists would take over the nation if Sheikh Hasina weren’t in energy.
In Bangladesh, anti-terrorism narratives have ceaselessly been politicized, serving as instruments to suppress opposition and legitimize authoritarian rule. Each state-aligned and unbiased researchers usually interpret a panorama formed by these politicized narratives. This dynamic displays broader traits of mental co-optation, the place counter-terrorism analysis is framed to validate authorities insurance policies, sidelining systemic critiques comparable to state repression or structural inequalities. On this regard, Bangladeshi-born anti-terrorism and violent non secular extremism intellectuals have made vital contributions to understanding these vital points. The mental panorama in Bangladesh contains influential thinkers who’re acknowledged for his or her unbiased work and critiques of the Hasina regime, in addition to these perceived to be aligned with it. Nevertheless, each teams appear to be influenced by an “anti-terrorism honey entice.” This dynamic is essentially pushed by analysis grants, aspirations for tutorial recognition, the pursuit of influential positions, and an inclination towards populism.
This dynamic mirrors traits in different populist regimes. In Turkey, for instance, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan used counter-terrorism narratives to suppress dissent, focusing on teachers beneath accusations of selling “terrorist propaganda.” Equally, in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi leveraged nationwide safety considerations to stifle dissent, as highlighted by Arundhati Roy in Azadi. Nevertheless, Bangladesh stands out for the dimensions of mental compliance, with the AL efficiently framing its actions as a protection of secularism – a perfect deeply ingrained within the nation’s identification. Amid widespread accusations of Islamization, the present Dr Yunus’ authorities reaffirmed its agency stance in opposition to any type of extremism on March 7 in Dhaka. Legislation enforcement authorities deployed batons, teargas, and sound grenades to disperse members of the banned Hizb ut-Tahrir as they tried to stage a march advocating March for Khilafat, underscoring the administration’s unwavering ‘zero tolerance’ coverage towards extremist actions.
In conclusion, the mental “honey entice” formed by counter-terrorism politics undermines democracy and human rights by co-opting teachers into state narratives, compromising their independence, and normalizing authoritarian practices. Escaping this entice calls for ethical braveness, integrity, and a dedication to reality and justice. Students should problem state propaganda, advocate for transparency in analysis, and resist incentives tied to authorities agendas. The autumn of Sheikh Hasina’s regime highlights the unsustainability of utilizing counter-terrorism to justify repression and manipulate mental discourse. This serves as a stark reminder of the necessity to uphold tutorial and mental purism over opportunistic pursuits and resist state-driven co-optation to protect democratic values.
Additional Studying on E-Worldwide Relations
