This research brief is based on a nationwide RESOLVE Network survey designed to address the gap in understanding the sources of Bangladeshi support for violent extremist tactics, goals, and organizations. The survey instrument presented respondents with vignettes of actual terrorist attacks perpetrated by three important militant groups: the Jagrato Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB); Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an Al-Qaeda affiliate; and Da’esh. The instrument queried respondents’ knowledge of the attack, support for the groups’ stated goals, and support for the tactics they employed. It also collected demographic and other respondent-level information data that can be used to determine individual support for the goals and the means employed by the terrorists. It summarizes the views of Bangladeshis on the most prominent militant organizations operating in the country in the recent past and present. It exposes important variation in support when it is broken down by cross-tabulating it with variables indicating gender, education, and socioeconomic standing.

 

Suggested citation:

Fair, C. Christine, and Wahid Abdallah. Islamist Militancy in Bangladesh: Public Awareness and Attitudes. Washington, D.C.: RESOLVE Network, 2017. https://doi.org/10.37805/bgd2017.3.