For Bangladesh, and indeed the world, the Holey Artisan incident was a turning point in our understanding of Islamist militancy. But thanks to concerted efforts by our intelligence agencies and law enforcement, not only has our nation been able to minimize the threat of terror but we have improved tremendously in keeping the forces of militancy at bay.
According to recent information from the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTC), only 23% of arrested militants have a background in madrasa education while 74% have received a more mainstream general education. Not only do these revelations fly in the face of conventional views towards Islamist extremism, it also proves that Islam as a religion is not the driving motivation for militants as they claim.
However, the CTTC also revealed that militants have begun shifting their focus online in coordinating any and all attacks as well as recruitment and training -- an incredible 82% of all active militants now utilize social media platforms to recruit potential targets for radicalization.
This is certainly a worrying trend, and while our intelligence agencies are most definitely up to the task of monitoring potential online threats, this is an area where families need to start playing a more active role.
The tendrils of radicalization are far reaching, and they opt to prey on disenfranchised youth almost exclusively -- we need to understand exactly what could compel young men and women to abandon their friends and families and take up arms for misguided causes and ideologies, and that has to begin at the home. We urge parents and guardians to start taking a more active interest in the lives of their teenage and young adult children, and counsel them whenever they start exhibiting signs of a radicalized mind.
Bangladesh is clearly winning in the war against militancy, but extremists are forever waiting on the wings. There is no resting here for any of us.
According to recent information from the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTC), only 23% of arrested militants have a background in madrasa education while 74% have received a more mainstream general education. Not only do these revelations fly in the face of conventional views towards Islamist extremism, it also proves that Islam as a religion is not the driving motivation for militants as they claim.
However, the CTTC also revealed that militants have begun shifting their focus online in coordinating any and all attacks as well as recruitment and training -- an incredible 82% of all active militants now utilize social media platforms to recruit potential targets for radicalization.
This is certainly a worrying trend, and while our intelligence agencies are most definitely up to the task of monitoring potential online threats, this is an area where families need to start playing a more active role.
The tendrils of radicalization are far reaching, and they opt to prey on disenfranchised youth almost exclusively -- we need to understand exactly what could compel young men and women to abandon their friends and families and take up arms for misguided causes and ideologies, and that has to begin at the home. We urge parents and guardians to start taking a more active interest in the lives of their teenage and young adult children, and counsel them whenever they start exhibiting signs of a radicalized mind.
Bangladesh is clearly winning in the war against militancy, but extremists are forever waiting on the wings. There is no resting here for any of us.
