Most of the militants involved in recent attacks in Bangladesh are from madrasas, not from elite schools, according to the country’s Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu.
Some of the attackers in the July 1 attack on a Dhaka café were studied in top schools, which triggered debates about the reach of radicalisation in the country.
In a telephone interview with The Hindu , Mr. Inu said two of the seven militants involved in the café attack that left 20 people dead were students of madrasas.
“The participation of boys of elite schools and colleges in these terror attacks is rare. Most of the boys are from madrasas and it’s a matter of concern,” Mr. Inu said.
While the number of Qawmi madrasas, which are not regulated by the Madrasa Education Board, is a disputed figure in Bangladesh, it runs to tens of thousands perhaps exceeding the madrasas controlled by the Board. Qawmi Madrasas are run largely on personal donation. “Over a period of time, these madrasas are modernised but there are problems and some boys are engaged in terror activities,” Mr. Inu said underscoring that the attacks have “no organisational connection” with external non-State actors. He rejected claims that the country’s is facing a communal crisis.
“The country is not getting divided on communal or religious lines. It is rather one small section that is fuelling trouble to destabilise a democratically elected government,” the Minister added.
“The new strategy of the extremist forces is to attack soft targets, like civilians or foreigners, contemplating that the government will negotiate with them. The government has strongly resisted these forces and uprooted them in the past and so it will in the future,” Mr. Inu added.
