{"id":1781,"date":"2026-08-04T08:12:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T08:12:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asianewscast.com\/?p=1781"},"modified":"2026-08-04T08:12:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T08:12:24","slug":"is-islamic-extremism-taking-over-bangladesh-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1781","title":{"rendered":"Is Islamic Extremism Taking Over Bangladesh?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"Is<\/div>
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Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman addresses an election rally in Chattogram district, Bangladesh, Feb. 2, 2026.<\/p>\n

Credit: X\/Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n

For 15 years, Bangladesh\u2019s government was viewed as a firm bulwark against religious extremism. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had cracked down heavily on the country\u2019s largest Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, as well as various radical and jihadist outfits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Really, Hasina cracked down on everyone \u2013 but to some, her authoritarian bent was an acceptable price to pay to keep religious extremism under wraps.<\/span><\/p>\n

So when Hasina\u2019s Awami League government was ousted from power on August 5, 2024, it triggered a wave of deep anxiety. Many feared that Islamists in Bangladesh would now have free rein. India, especially, was horrified by the prospect of its eastern neighbor becoming a safe haven for Islamist extremist groups \u2013 some of which might dream of carrying out terrorist attacks on Indian soil.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, two years after the collapse of Hasina\u2019s government, Jamaat-e-Islami has made a spectacular return to parliamentary politics. Radical groups are mobilizing, and there are escalating attacks against religious minorities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Does that mean fears about Bangladesh\u2019s Islamist explosion have come true? Not exactly.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman addresses an election rally in Chattogram district, Bangladesh, Feb. 2, 2026. Credit: X\/Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami For 15 years, Bangladesh\u2019s government was viewed as a firm bulwark against religious extremism. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had cracked down heavily on the country\u2019s largest Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, as well as various radical and jihadist […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1669,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nIs Islamic Extremism Taking Over Bangladesh? - Asia Newscast<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1781\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is Islamic Extremism Taking Over Bangladesh? - Asia Newscast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman addresses an election rally in Chattogram district, Bangladesh, Feb. 2, 2026. 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