Congratulations to my esteemed colleague and friend, Md. Monirul Islam for his exceptional leadership in fortifying Bangladesh's security and intelligence apparatus to combat terrorism and extremism. As the head of Bangladesh Special Branch and an Additional Inspector General of Police, Md. Monirul Islam played a pivotal role in establishing a modern counter-terrorism framework in #Bangladesh.
Initially, there was reluctance among Bangladesh's leadership to acknowledge the presence of the Islamic State (ISIS) within their borders, fearing repercussions on tourism and investment. To address this challenge, I introduced the term "Neo-JMB" as an alternative to ISIS, aiming to raise awareness and confront the emerging threat.
In collaboration with Bangladesh's counter-terrorism leadership, my colleagues and I worked tirelessly to enhance the nation's counter-terrorism capabilities. Notably, in 2016, just before the tragic Holey Artisan attack, we conducted training sessions for more than 400 counter-terrorism personnel, covering crucial topics such as hostage crises and suicide attacks. This training was organised by Dhaka Metropolitan Police Training Academy in collaboration with the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research.
For those seeking deeper insights into the security landscape of Bangladesh and its surroundings, I recommend visiting the website https://lnkd.in/gpGHeYbJ.
The latest edition of "Intelligence Review" sheds light on the transformed discourse on security in Bangladesh. Md. Monirul Islam's contribution, titled "Navigating the Past, Present, and Future of the Special Branch of Bangladesh Police: Guardians of Insight," stands out as a beacon of knowledge.
Other notable contributions include Md. Touhidul Islam's piece on "Intelligence, Peace, and Conflict Management," Niloy Ranjan Biswas and RM Faizur Rahman's examination of "Intelligence-led Policing and Counterterrorism in Bangladesh," ASM Ali Ashraf's analysis of "Policing, Intelligence, and Counterterrorism in South Asia," and Raian Hossain's exploration of "The Usage of Open-Source Geopolitical Intelligence: Bangladesh in a Twenty-First Century Turbulent Multipolar World."
Bangladesh's police force has demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in combating terrorism, thanks in large part to the supportive political leadership under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Moving forward, the challenge lies in addressing the root causes of violence and terrorism, namely religious exclusivism and extremism. Alongside efforts to strengthen rehabilitation and reintegration programs, there is a pressing need for comprehensive community engagement initiatives to foster moderation, tolerance, and coexistence.
