Understanding Counter-terrorism Strategies of Police Against the Changing Dynamics of Terrorism in Bangladesh

Abstract

In this paper, we examine the roles of Bangladesh Police in fighting terrorism in the country. In terms of theory, the starting point is the concept of counter-terrorism. The researchers investigate the efforts of police in combating terrorism against the changing dynamics of terrorism in Bangladesh also in the absence of a national counter-terrorism strategy. In addition to consulting relevant literature, the authors conducted 14 in-depth interviews—10 police officers, two journalists, and two experts—to understand the picture. The key findings are the following: i) competition among the anti-terrorism units of police in showcasing their success in counter-terrorism actions forces police officers not to share relevant information and coordinate among themselves; ii) the absence of a national counter-terrorism strategy compels police officers to follow ad hoc policies and temporary techniques in their counter-terrorism steps including in proactive and reactive ones; iii) weaknesses in capacity, from resources to jurisdictions to scope of work, hinder police’s battle against the contemporary dimensions in terrorism which include involvement of women, lone-wolf attempt, and cyber-terrorism.