Military Strategy of Bangladesh to Counter Terrorism in Near Future

Bangladesh is a developing country of South Asia which earned its independence from Pakistan in 1971. With a majority Muslim populace, it enjoys a reputation as a moderate Muslim country where its people are traditionally more Bengali than Muslim. Since independence, Bangladesh has faced criminal and terrorist acts by leftist cadres, separatist armed cadres and ethnic insurgents, transnational terrorists, and political cadres. However, religious fanaticism has also terrorized Bangladesh recently in the decade. Bangladesh has taken various reactionary measures to counterterrorism. Political initiatives to resolve insurgency and reactive actions to counter radical terrorism have temporarily subsided those problems. However, the core reasons behind these problems still exit and terrorism, in different forms, is likely to resurface anytime. This possibility of escalation reiterates the necessity for adopting a proactive, aggressive counterterrorism strategy for Bangladesh. It should develop this strategy to use all instruments of power. Military and security forces should be utilized in accordance with a military strategy to enable and complement the overall strategy to be effective. The military strategy of Bangladesh needs to prepare its military and security forces in both short and long-term considerations to enable them for disrupting, degrading, and finally uprooting terrorism.