ABSTRACT
Exploration of the causes of and conditions for the emergence of Islamist militancy in Bangladesh should begin within Bangladesh, because the militancy has largely emerged from within, and thus far, has remained within the borders of the country. The militants are certainly opposed to democratic politics, the Bangladeshi state and the institutions which represent its secular nature (see Appendix 5). But ironically the militants have increased their influence by exploiting the same fragile democratic system and by taking advantage of the state's choice to delegate some of its responsibilities to the non-governmental sector. The cultural traits that have contributed to the birth of this state are the target of their attacks. In addition, militants have deployed various modes of popular culture to glorify the jihad. In this chapter, I examine five domestic factors that have contributed to the rise of militant Islam, including the favorable socio-political environment, coercion as an acceptable mode of governance and criminalization of politics, the absence of state institutions in certain geographical areas in Bangladesh, a sympathetic civil administration, particularly at the local level, and mobilization of popular culture for Islamist objectives.
