Terrorism in Bangladesh

Terrorism in Bangladesh is primarily composed of Islamist militant activities aimed at subverting the secular constitutional system to establish Sharia rule. These activities are often linked with international jihadist networks such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS. Major groups include Jama'at-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), responsible for coordinated bombings in 63 locations in 2005 which killed dozens and injured hundreds; its reformed splinter group, Neo-JMB; and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), which targets secular bloggers and minorities.

Notable incidents include the 2016 Holey Artisan Bakery attack in Dhaka, where ISIS-affiliated militants killed 29 hostages, including foreign nationals, in a siege lasting over 12 hours. Alongside this are the serial killings of intellectuals and attacks on the Shia and Ahmadiyya communities.

Strict counter-measures by the government, such as operations by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), asset seizures, and the execution of JMB leaders through legal processes, led to a reduction in major attacks, and by 2023, no transnational incidents had occurred. But the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 accelerated institutional chaos, creating a policing vacuum and leading to the release of convicted militants. This has fueled a documented increase in extremist activities by groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir, and the risk of an Islamist resurgence has grown as counter-terrorism solidarity has weakened.