Since its inception, foreign aid has been seen as a tool for winning the “hearts and minds” of people in far-away countries. In attempting to address terrorism, where it is difficult to identify who the enemy might be, governments need to utilize various methods for reducing the likelihood that individuals will become radicalized and seek to attack Western targets. In addition, improving sentiments toward the West among the population of countries where nascent anti-Western movements exist might limit the number of people willing to condone or ignore terrorism.
Our research in Bangladesh, a majority-Muslim country that has seen a recent wave of anti-Western attacks, including Friday’s hostage situation that resulted in the deaths of 20
The Islamic State (IS) is expanding its reach around the globe, and its latest focus is on Bangladesh. In the newest edition of its glossy magazine, Dabiq, the head of Islamic State operations in Bangladesh, Sheikh Abu Ibrahim al-Hanif, discussed the group's goals for the country. The group has carried out some small attacks in the country, but it wants to conduct a large attack to boost its credentials among local jihadists and promote the interests of the larger organization. As has been the case elsewhere, however, established jihadist groups in Bangladesh pose a challenge to the Islamic State's ambitions.
In the interview that appeared in the April 13 edition of Dabiq, al-Hanif listed a range of
Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, is situated on the northeastern bank of the Buriganga river and for centuries the river had remained a hurdle in reaching the capital.
Finally this major hurdle was overcome by China building a bridge so that people on both banks could easily cross the river, making life easier for all.
The construction of the first Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge, with a span of more than 917
meters in length, began in October 1986, and was completed in February 1989. Seven mo...
About a year ago, seven year-old Afroza Khatun dropped out of school as her mother could not continue supervising her homework.
The interruption in her grade II lessons was soon noticed by a teacher of an information education centre known as ENRICH, a state-funded programme which aims at supporting children who drop out to continue their education from the primary level (up to grade II).
“I could not accept that Afroza, so brilliant in her lessons, had to drop out of school just because her mother could not help prepare her lessons at home,” Mosammet Shirin Akter, a teacher at ENRICH learning centre, told IPS News.
Afroza’s father died when she was still in her mother’s womb. Too poor to support the family, Afroza’s mother, Joshna, had to work as a day labourer. Recently, she ...
On a gloomy weather in a hilly suburb in Tarabonia, three women keep themselves busy stitching clothes. The informal shop-cum tailoring outlet is the only one of its kind in the neighbourhood and so the shop has a good record of sales of apparels. Minu Bai Marma, a 27 year-old housewife who runs the rented shop, gives a smile and attends to her regular customers. Customers keep ordering for new dresses, especially before festivals and Minu and her husband earn a fairly good amount of profits to run the family.
Seven years ago, Minu’s family life was not so happy. Minu and her husband, Athuse Marma, had to resort to heavy lifting work in cattle farms or plow arable hilly land. “We literally had no earnings. We had to work as day labourers to make living. It was like no work, no pay. T...
