Is Bangladesh the Next Afghanistan?

FrontPageMagazine.com ^ | February 2, 2005 | Alex R. Alexiev and Salim Mansur

[indcons]

Bangladesh is a remote South Asian country, about the size of Florida, bounded on three sides by India.

Since independence in 1971, acquired in a bloody civil war from the politically and militarily dominant western wing of Pakistan, Bangladesh has known only mounting adversities.

Geographically the country is an alluvial plain formed by the confluence of two major rivers, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra. Climatically it is a wash-basin of hurricanes sweeping north from the Bay of Bengal, and regular monsoon flooding from over-flowing rivers.

But if it is not watched and adequate preventive measures not taken, Bangladesh could well be the next Afghanistan in the making as a haven for Islamist jihadis.

[indcons]

I watched a Discovery program last year and it came to similar conclusions regarding growing Wahabbi-style Islam in Bangladesh. To read more about the situation in that wretched country, read Taslima Nasreen's excellent book, Lajja. Like Rushdie, Nasreen is living in the fear of her life following a fatwa. It is important to note that the Hasina govt. appears to be protecting and funding a shipload of hardcore Afghan/Arab terrorists who landed there (in the port city of Chittagong) after the liberation of Afghanistan.

[John Will]

How long before a formal alliance is announced with India?

[indcons]

Hope that does not happen!!!!! It will be similar to Mexico joining the US. Lots of benefits for them, lots of pain for the rest of us. Let them join their Wahabbi scum in Indonesia or Pakistan.

[conservlib]

India is our best friend in this area, as Russia is. We should never take our eyes of the ball. The enemy are the fanatic Islamists. If they are in Detroit, or in Bangladesh!

[Betaille]

I think pakistan is already the new afghanistan. Bangladesh is actually a democracy, and has been for some time. I'm very skeptical of the idea that democracy is the best impediment to islamism.

[theFIRMbss]

You know, maybe if George had made an album for Afghanistan, they might have decided that the West was really good and that the West cared . . .

[kingsurfer]

BanglaDesh is relatively messed up but does a have a functioning democracy. There hae been rumours and allegations of terrorists being there. I believe it is either number one or two on the Most Corrupted countries list.

I know some Bengalis and they seem alright apart from the reigious mania. As the country floods so regularly to about 40/50% of the land, its use as a hide out may be questionable.

[camas]

between Bangladesh and India never ever happen. IMHO

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

Perhaps.

:)

On a serious note, the political situation in that country is even more untenable than outside Western observers are willing to recognize.

The two main partners in the governing coalition are at each other's throats-at varying points, attempting to kill one another's respective leaders-the minority Islamic radical parties-one of which was a signatory to OBL's declaration of war against the West-hold the balance of power, and the situation is not improving to any marked degree.

This wasn't what the people of "East Pakistan" were expecting when they courageously threw off the yoke of the Pakistani military dictatorship lo those many years ago.

It's time for the United States to put the hammer down, and finally use its foreign aid appropriations as leverage, demanding that Bangladesh step back into line and crush its domestic Islamic insurgency, which is on the verge of turning that country into another Congo.

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

http://www.transparency.org/pressreleases_archive/2004/2004.10.20.cpi.en.html

[Gengis Khan]

You mean between Bangladesh and India or between US and India ?

[thrust]

well the title should have been

"IS BANGLADESH THE NEXT PAKISTAN?"

[John Will]

America&India