New Delhi: There has been a steady rise in radicalisation in Bangladesh, following the installation of Muhammad Yunus as the caretaker of the interim government. The rise of radicalisation, violence against minorities, and the mushrooming of terror camps was obvious since Yunus is a puppet of the ISI-controlled Jamaat-e-Islami.
While violence has become a daily routine, the worry is the rising presence of the ISI in the country. While the ISI is known to set up terror camps, the bigger worry for the people of Bangladesh is that Pakistan is trying to wipe out the cultural identity of the nation.
Three camps have been set up in Dhaka. These camps are overseen by radical elements appointed by the ISI. In a bid to make the Bangladeshis extremely radical in their thinking, the ISI is planning to run the country like they do in Pakistan.
The number of clerics from Pakistan visiting Bangladesh has risen multi-fold. They visit the camps that the ISI has set up along the Chittagong Hill Tracts and various other places. Further, the ISI has also set up dedicated camps in Dhaka, which are also visited by these clerics.
The visits are arranged by Pakistan and coordinated by groups such as the Jamaat, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, and Bangladeshi Islami Andolan. During each of these visits, the job of these organisations is to ferry the youth of Bangladesh in large numbers to these camps. During these sessions, the clerics preach about the importance of having a purely Islamist identity and also the need to make Urdu the official language.
The idea is to completely wipe out the Bangla identity among the people and tilt the nation completely towards the ideology that is followed by Pakistan. The official language of Bangladesh is Bengali, known as Bangla by its speakers. At least 98 per cent of the population is fluent in Bengali, and apart from this, English is also spoken by a large number of the population. This is something that Pakistan is looking to change and introduce Urdu as the main language.
Further, the ISI has also been urging the Jamaat to set up more madrasas and ensure that the children use these places as the primary learning centres, instead of the regular schools. This is something that Pakistan has been implementing in its own country for several years now. The intention in Bangladesh is to ensure that the clerics govern the country.
While on one hand, Pakistan looks to change the cultural identity of Bangladesh, on the other, the ISI continues to set up terror camps in large numbers. To oversee this, there are officials of the ISI who are in charge of these camps. The job of overseeing the recruitment has been handed over to the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JuMB), Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HuJI).
Analysts say that the mushrooming of terror camps with a puppet government in place was on expected lines. India has already geared up for any eventuality from these terror groups. However, the worry is that the ISI has set up dedicated camps that are aimed at changing the cultural identity of Bangladesh.
The common people of Bangladesh view India as a friend. Many come to India to pursue their education or for their medical needs. Further, the Bangladeshis have a lot in common with India, especially West Bengal. Pakistan wants all this to change and make the Bangladeshis like the Pakistanis, who have been programmed to hate India since their birth.
These changes that the ISI and Jamaat have been attempting could prove to be dangerous for the region. Officials say that a completely radicalised Bangladesh would mean that the people, instead of studying in proper schools and taking up jobs, would explore the terror market for a living.
(IANS)
