SM Shaon Parvez, UK
Islamic terrorism in Bangladesh isn’t a distant threat—it’s a festering cancer eating away at the nation’s soul, empowered by political chaos, religious fanaticism, and a regime that’s either too weak or too complicit to stop it. As of November 2025, under Muhammad Yunus’s interim government, the country has become a breeding ground for extremists, with attacks on minorities skyrocketing, Islamist groups like Hefazat-e-Islam openly calling for murders, and terrorist organizations like ISIS-K and Al-Qaeda affiliates regrouping with impunity. This isn’t hyperbole; it’s the grim reality documented in report after report from Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), and the UK Home Office. Bangladesh, once a beacon of secular struggle against Pakistani oppression in 1971, is now sliding into a theocratic hellhole where “Tawhidi janata” (devout masses) march in streets demanding the “qatl” (killing) of atheists, secularists, and minorities. If this isn’t terrorism wrapped in religious garb, what is?
The post-August 2024 ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government—triggered by student protests but hijacked by Islamists—has unleashed a wave of violence that’s turned Bangladesh into a powder keg. Yunus, the Nobel “peacemaker,” promised reform but has delivered a nightmare: released terrorists, amended Anti-Terrorism Acts used to crush dissent, and a blind eye to communal carnage. HRW’s October 2025 report blasts the regime for misusing laws to arrest Awami League supporters while ignoring the real terrorists rampaging through minority communities. USCIRF’s 2025 Annual Report designates Bangladesh as a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious freedom violations, citing surges in attacks on Hindus, atheists, and others. Amnesty’s 2025 State of the World’s Human Rights calls out the “systemic repression” enabling extremism. This blog rips apart the facade, tracing the history of Islamic terrorism in Bangladesh, exposing 2025’s horrors, analyzing government failures, and demanding action before the country implodes.
Historical Roots: From 1971 Betrayal to Modern Jihad
Islamic terrorism in Bangladesh didn’t sprout overnight; its seeds were sown in the blood-soaked fields of 1971. During the Liberation War, Jamaat-e-Islami—Pakistan’s Islamist lapdogs—collaborated with the Pakistani army, forming death squads like Al-Badr and Razakars to massacre Bengali intellectuals, Hindus, and freedom fighters. They raped, tortured, and killed in the name of “protecting Islam,” slaughtering over 3 million in a genocide that makes the Nazis look amateur. Post-independence, these war criminals weren’t eradicated; they slithered back into politics, rebranding Jamaat as a “democratic” party while plotting jihad.
The 1990s saw the rise of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI), a Mujahideen offshoot funded by Osama bin Laden, launching attacks on secular targets. By the 2000s, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) emerged, bombing courts, cinemas, and Sufi shrines—anything “un-Islamic.” Their 2005 coordinated blasts in 63 districts killed dozens, a brazen display of terror that exposed the state’s rot. Al-Qaeda and ISIS affiliates followed, with Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) hacking atheist bloggers to death in 2013-2016: Avijit Roy, Washiqur Rahman, Ananta Bijoy Das—brilliant minds mutilated for daring to question dogma.
The 2016 Holey Artisan Bakery attack in Dhaka was the pinnacle of horror: ISIS gunmen stormed the cafe, slaughtering 22 (mostly foreigners) after quizzing victims on Quranic verses. It exposed Bangladesh’s vulnerability to global jihad, with local radicals like Neo-JMB carrying the torch. Despite crackdowns under Hasina, extremists regrouped in madrasas and online, waiting for weakness.
2025: The Year Terrorism Roared Back
Fast-forward to 2025: Post-Hasina chaos has supercharged Islamic terrorism. Yunus’s regime, desperate for legitimacy, has cozied up to Jamaat and Hefazat, releasing convicted terrorists and war criminals. USCIRF’s 2025 Report slams this as “religious freedom violations persist,” citing increased attacks by groups like ISIS-K, which continues targeting minorities. HRW’s October 2025 report on the amended Anti-Terrorism Act accuses the government of using it for “new crackdowns” against Awami League, while ignoring real terrorists. The law’s May 2025 amendments allow banning “entities” like Chhatra League as “terrorist,” but extremists walk free.
Minority attacks exploded: USCIRF documents 48 incidents Jan-Apr 2025, many by Islamists. Prothom Alo reports 2,900 minority attacks under Yunus, though the government claims most “criminal, not communal”—a pathetic whitewash. Hindus, atheists, Christians— all fair game. Hefazat’s December 3, 2025, march in Shukrabad openly called for killing atheists like “Morshed, Jahin, Lutfar,” declaring it “wajib.” Leaders like Maulana Azhar Kutubpuri said, “Killing these atheist dogs is obligatory.” This isn’t fringe; it’s mainstream terror, inciting murder in broad daylight.
ISIS-K’s March 2025 threats reference global attacks, per State Dept’s 2023 Terrorism Report (updated 2025). SATP’s July 2025 update notes persistent concerns. Aid to the Church in Need’s 2025 Religious Freedom Report warns of terrorist groups using religion as pretext for violence. UN experts in July 2025 back action on disappearances, linking to terrorism.
Government’s response? Amend laws to ban Awami League in May 2025, per HRW, while Hefazat marches unchecked. ReliefWeb’s May 2025 report urges reviewing laws to protect rights, but Yunus ignores.
Key Incidents: Blood on the Streets
2025’s terror highlights:
- January 2025: Islamist mobs attack Hindu villages, per USCIRF, killing several over “blasphemy.”
- March 2025: ISIS-K claims threats, echoing 2016.
- April 2025: 48 minority attacks, USCIRF.
- May 2025: Awami League banned under Anti-Terrorism Act, freeing extremists.
- July 2025: HRW reports surge in extremism.
- October 2025: HRW condemns crackdowns, but terror continues.
- December 2025: Hefazat’s murder calls.
These aren’t isolated; they’re systemic, fueled by regime weakness.
Government Failures: Complicity or Incompetence?
Yunus’s regime talks reform but enables terror. Releasing Jamaat leaders, amending laws to target rivals—it’s appeasement. State Dept reports note failure to counter ISIS-K. Amnesty condemns repression under Anti-Terrorism Law.
Police complicity: HRW documents torture, disappearances.
International calls ignored: UN, US urge action, but nothing.
Future Risks: A Theocratic Abyss
2026 elections loom; terror could spike. USCIRF warns of worsening. If Islamists gain, Bangladesh becomes Taliban-lite.
Conclusion: Fight or Fall
Islamic terrorism is destroying Bangladesh. Demand accountability, repeal hate laws, protect minorities. Or watch the nation burn.