Papers by Saimum Parvez
Jindal Journal of International Affairs, Oct 1, 2011
Public diplomacy is going through perplexing changes and challenges due to technological innovati... more Public diplomacy is going through perplexing changes and challenges due to technological innovations and renewed interest in the 'soft power' approach. This article analyses the methods and tactics of US public diplomacy regarding Iran. It discusses the close relationship between propaganda and public diplomacy and how different tactics and initiatives have been employed by the US in order to assist pro-democracy campaigns within Iran. The history of US broadcasting in Iran is also discussed to shed light on the changing dimensions of public diplomacy. However, the article argues that the intricacies of contemporary methods of communications and the diversities of the audiences in Iran can offset American propaganda techniques. It suggests from contemporary history that Cold War-style public diplomacy may not work in the case of Iran, since younger Persians have access to alternative viewpoints that neutralise or refract the effects of Western propaganda.
Routledge eBooks, Nov 1, 2022
Democratization, Jan 12, 2021
ABSTRACT With the global proliferation of hybrid regimes, manipulated elections are on the rise a... more ABSTRACT With the global proliferation of hybrid regimes, manipulated elections are on the rise as the rulers of hybrid regimes organize elections to maintain the veneer of democracy. Yet available studies on hybrid regimes have not explored the detail mechanisms of election manipulation and the role of various institutions in the process. This article intends to address this gap through the case study of 2018 Bangladeshi election. This article examines the parliamentary election held on 30 December which has delivered an unprecedented victory to the incumbent Bangladeshi Awami League (BAL). The article demonstrates how the ruling party adopted various methods to rig the election. These include creating a climate of fear, neutering opposition candidates through imprisonment and confinement, disqualifying opposition candidates, limiting the effective oversight of the electoral process through denying international observers, and establishing control over media before the election day and ballot stuffing. It also discusses the roles of the electoral commission, civilian administration, law enforcing agencies and the courts.
The Road to Democracy, 2023
Routledge eBooks, Nov 1, 2022
This book examines contemporary issues and debates of terrorism in Bangladesh, including national... more This book examines contemporary issues and debates of terrorism in Bangladesh, including national and transnational terrorist outfits operating within the country, their narratives and counternarratives, ideologues, women and the youth, media representation, counterterrorism laws, and challenges. Bangladesh is a fascinating and often paradoxical case study for terrorism studies. The book examines major terrorist groups in contemporary Bangladesh and their international connections and narratives, as well as a case study of an influential ideologue who encouraged some Bangladeshis to engage in violence. The chapters discuss how women and youth play a role in Bangladeshi terrorism, how the internet is used for recruiting terrorists, the discourses of the media and state regarding terrorism, as well as the politics of law and counterterrorism initiatives, including critically evaluating non-state actors and government responses. In addition to providing an up-to-date analysis of terrorism and counterterrorism in Bangladesh, this book offers a balanced and unbiased perspective on this subject. It will appeal to academics and international policymakers who are researching violence and extremism in South Asia.
Small Wars & Insurgencies, 2022
Notwithstanding the discernable participation of women in terrorist groups, empirical research on... more Notwithstanding the discernable participation of women in terrorist groups, empirical research on women in terrorism is very scant in Bangladesh. To fill this gap, our article examines women’s involvement in terrorism by analyzing the life stories of dozens of Bangladeshi women terrorists. We use a terrorist lifecycle approach to understand the role of digital media in female participation, particularly in terms of when in the lifecycle digital media becomes important, and in terms of how digital media interacts with other factors to shape women’s involvement in terrorist organizations. After analyzing female profiles and their socio-demographic traits, we provide an in-depth analysis of three female terrorist lifecycles. An analysis of the profiles of Bangladeshi terrorists who use digital media reveals that women were more likely to use digital media than men in the recruitment phase. The in-depth case studies of three female terrorist profiles find that multiple and different factors impact their terrorist life cycles. Social networks – families and friends – typically play a role in individuals’ decision to become involved and further engagement in terrorism. Specifically, digital media allows women to expand their social interactions beyond what is possible in person, thus allowing for virtual pathways into terrorism.
Journal of Bangladesh Studies, 2019
Despite the visible presence of violent extremist groups, and evidence of their connection with t... more Despite the visible presence of violent extremist groups, and evidence of their connection with transnational groups such as Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, the number of empirical studies on this topic is limited in Bangladesh. There have been over 50 violent extremist attacks in Bangladesh in recent years (2013-2017) and digital media was used in different ways in most of these attacks. There appear to be no scholarly articles addressing this phenomenon in Bangladesh. To fill this gap, this project sheds light on the subject by analyzing life stories of Bangladeshi violent extremists. The data for this project was collected from content analysis of newspaper reports, Jihadi online magazines, and videos. Besides presenting current trends on how extremists are using digital media, this paper identifies challenges for counter-terrorism efforts in Bangladesh and provides suggestions to mitigate these challenges.
Journal of Asian and African Studies, 2021
This study examines the role of the press in shaping national identities in contemporary Banglade... more This study examines the role of the press in shaping national identities in contemporary Bangladesh. It employs the critical discourse analysis method to analyze newspapers' content and closely examines the news texts of three high-profile events in 2013: the Shahbag movement, the murder of blogger Rajib, and the Hefajat movement. Based on the critical discourse analysis of newspaper articles related to these three events, this study observes a discursive construction of two binary and intolerant identities in the coverage. This analysis demonstrates how the discourse of each newspaper creates meanings related to national identities and ideologies that serve to justify the interests of 'us' and to criticize 'them'.
Terrorism and Political Violence, 2018
Although militant groups have been present in Bangladesh since the 1990s, the country catapulted ... more Although militant groups have been present in Bangladesh since the 1990s, the country catapulted to international media attention on July 1, 2016, after an attack on a café in the upscale neighborhood of the capital Dhaka. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack which killed 29 people, mostly foreigners. The attack came in the wake of a series of attacks on religious and ethnic minorities, foreigners, liberal activists, authors, and publishers by both an AQIS affiliate and ISIS. The government denied the existence of militant groups tied to international terrorist organizations. Despite these developments and instances of Bangladeshis joining the ISIS in Iraq and Syria, there has been very little in-depth discussion about who these militants are and what is driving Bangladeshis to militancy. This article addresses this lacuna. This paper examines the common traits of alleged Bangladeshi militants and explores the factors of radicalization. Drawing on media reports of the profiles of the alleged militants, between July 2014 and June 2015, and between July 2016 and August 2017, the article finds that most of the Bangladeshi militants are young, educated males increasingly coming from well-off families. We have also found evidence that four factors—social relationships, use of the Internet, personal crises, and external relations—appear most frequently in the narratives of Bangladeshi militants.
Democratization, 2021
With the global proliferation of hybrid regimes, manipulated elections are on the rise as the rul... more With the global proliferation of hybrid regimes, manipulated elections are on the rise as the rulers of hybrid regimes organize elections to maintain the veneer of democracy. Yet available studies on hybrid regimes have not explored the detail mechanisms of election manipulation and the role of various institutions in the process. This article intends to address this gap through the case study of 2018 Bangladeshi election. This article examines the parliamentary election held on 30 December which has delivered an unprecedented victory to the incumbent Bangladeshi Awami League (BAL). The article demonstrates how the ruling party adopted various methods to rig the election. These include creating a climate of fear, neutering opposition candidates through imprisonment and confinement, disqualifying opposition candidates, limiting the effective oversight of the electoral process through denying international observers, and establishing control over media before the election day and ballot stuffing. It also discusses the roles of the electoral commission, civilian administration, law enforcing agencies and the courts.
Protichinta, 2020
ইসলাতমক থ্ ্ সট, বাংলাকদি, তজহাতদ বয়ান, প্ ্ বাসী জত্ ্ ঙ, দত্ ্ কে এতিয়া। জত্ ্ িোদ ভূ তমকা ২০১... more ইসলাতমক থ্ ্ সট, বাংলাকদি, তজহাতদ বয়ান, প্ ্ বাসী জত্ ্ ঙ, দত্ ্ কে এতিয়া। জত্ ্ িোদ ভূ তমকা ২০১৬ সাকলর ১ জ্ লাই বাংলাকদকি ইসলাতমক থ্ ্ সকটর থোসররা তজত্ ্ ম সংককটর ঘটনা ঘটায়। ঢাকার ধনাঢ্ য এলাকায় অবত্ ্ সি তবকদতিকদর কাকছ জননত্ ্ নি থরসু ্ ্ করি্ ্ থোতল আত্ টত জান থবকাতরকি সতহংস উগ্ ্ বাদীরা এক িতটকা হামলা িালায়। িারা ভারি, ইিাতল, জািান, মাত্ কত ন েু ক্ ্ রাক্ ্ ্ ্ ষর নাগতরকসহ ২০ জন তজত্ ্ মকক ক্ তিকয় এবং জবাই ককর হি্ যা ককর। তজহাতদকদর সক্ ্ ঙ তনরািি্ ্ া বাতহনীর বন্ ্ ্ কেু ক্ ্ ির মধ্ য তদকয় ১২ ঘণ্ ্ ার শ্ ্ াসর্ ি্ ্ কর তজত্ ্ ম িতরত্ ্ সতির অবসান ঘকট। দ্ জন আইনিৃ ঙ্ ্ লা রক্ ্ াকারী বাতহনীর কম্ ষ কি্ ত া এবং িা্ িজন হামলাকারী এই ঘটনায় তনহি হয়। েতদও বাংলাকদকি সাম্ ্ ্ ্ তিক বছরগ্ কোকি থোট িতরসকর এবং উত্ ্ িষ্ ্ একাতধক হামলার ঘটনা ঘকটকছ, তকন্ ্ ্ সু তনত্ দত ষ্ ্ ভাকব এই ভয়াবহ হামলা তবশ্ ্ কক নাড়া তদকয়কছ। ২০১৩ সাল থেকক এ িে্ ষ ন্ ্ তজহাতদরা নূ য্ নিম ৪০ জন থলখক, প্ ্ কািক, অ্ যাকতটতভস্ ্ -মু ক্ ্ মনা, তবকদতি এবং সংখ্ যালঘু সম্ ্ ্ ্ দাকয়র সদস্ যকক হি্ যা ককরকছ। ২০১৩ সাল থেকক ২০১৭ সময়কাকল ৫০তট সতহংস উগ্ ্ বাদী হামলার ঘটনা ঘকটকছ, োকি ২৫৫ জন তনহি এবং ৯৪২ জন আহি হকয়কছ। ১ তসতরয়া ও ইরাকক ইসলাতমক থ্ ্ সট িিকনর মু কখ। বাংলাকদকিও ইসলাতমক থ্ ্ সট-সংত্ ্ িষ্ ্ সতহংস-উগ্ ্ বাদী থোষ্ ্ ীগ্ কোর িীর্ ষ থনিাকদর মৃ িু য্ বা থ্ ্ গপ্ ্ াকরর ঘটনা ঘটকছ। ফকল এ থদকি িাকদর সাংগিতনক ক্ ্ মিা হ্ ্ াকসর ইত্ ্ ঙি িাওয়া োক্ ্ ে। গ্ র্ ির সাংগিতনক িু নগ্ ষ িকনর প্ ্ কোজকন সন্ ্ ্ ্ াসী সংগিনতট থৌিল ও কাে্ ষ িি্ ্ তিকি িতরবি্ ত ন আনকছ। ২ িাকদর স্ ্ ানীয় ও আঞ্ ্ তলক হামলাগ্ কলা সামত্ ্ গক আকাকর সবত্ ্ শকভাকব সমত্ ্ নি নয়। এর বদকল স্ ্ ানীয় থ্ ্ পক্ ্ ািট ও িতরত্ ্ সতিকি থেসব অসক্ ্ োর আকছ, তনজস্ ্ কাে্ ষ তসত্ ্ ির জন্ য িারা থসগ্ কো ব্ যবহার করার থিষ্ ্ া করকছ। ৩
Perspective on Terrorism, 2019
The Islamic State (IS) is going through a shift in its strategy and tactics with a major organisa... more The Islamic State (IS) is going through a shift in its strategy and tactics with a major organisational restructuring in the post-Caliphate phase. Instead of controlling a territory with a centralised system, the jihadist organisation is attempting to expand its ideologies via local affiliates, exploiting existing local grievances. Although South Asia receives priority in IS' ambition of expansion, the extant literature on the role of the jihadist outfit in the region, especially in Bangladesh, is scant. To address this lacuna, this study explores the development of IS affiliated groups in Bangladesh and portrays its origin, leadership, target, goals and international connections. It also explains how Bangladeshi foreign fighters were recruited for IS and who the key persons were behind Bangladeshis' IS connections. This study shows that while the Bangladesh government squarely refused to acknowledge the presence of IS in Bangladesh, IS claimed responsibilities of several attacks and indicated their long-term plan to control the region in the future. This study also analyses jihadist content, including IS' flagship magazine Dabiq, Rumiyah, their videos and Telegram channels, and finds their violence justification narrative employed in Bangladesh. It finds that there are mainly three themes in the Bangladeshi jihadist narrative: perceived crisis construct, solution construct, and justification of jihad as the only way to reach the solution from the existing crisis.
Recent Trends and Patterns of Violent Extremism in Bangladesh: Variations and Responses, 2019
This study investigates trends and patterns of violent extremism in Bangladesh based on the datab... more This study investigates trends and patterns of violent extremism in Bangladesh based on the database of Bangladesh Peace Observatory (BPO). By analyzing the increasing and decreasing tendency of violent extremism with temporal and spatial variations, this study reveals several interesting findings: such as incidents related to violent extremism witnessed a downward trend in the last three years; Rajshahi is the second most violent extremism-prone city after Dhaka; and JMB, AAI and Neo-JMB are the three most active VE groups in Bangladesh. Also, this study finds a positive correlation between mainstream political instability and increasing incidents of violent extremist by exploring two periods. The paper also provides a comprehensive overview of the origin and development of three major actors of violent extremism and their connections with transnational violent extremist groups. In the third and final section, this study analyzes major CVE efforts and their effectiveness in Bangladesh. The project contributed in existing literature on violent extremism in Bangladesh by providing a data-based quantitative analysis. An in-depth analysis of three most prominent actors of violent extremism in Bangladesh also supports the quantitative analysis. Hopefully, this analysis will be useful to understand trends of VE in Bangladesh, prevent and counter violent extremism, and to implement CVE and PVE strategies.
Book Chapters by Saimum Parvez
Democracy and Governance Contemporary Issues in Bangladesh, 2017
POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN SOUTH ASIA, 2019
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2019 selection and e... more Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2019 selection and editorial matter, Ali Riaz, Zobaida Nasreen and Fahmida Zaman; individual chapters, the contributors The right of Ali Riaz, Zobaida Nasreen and Fahmida Zaman to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Uploads
Papers by Saimum Parvez
Book Chapters by Saimum Parvez
Bangladesh is a fascinating and often paradoxical case study for terrorism studies. The book examines major terrorist groups in contemporary Bangladesh and their international connections and narratives, as well as a case study of an influential ideologue who encouraged some Bangladeshis to engage in violence. The chapters discuss how women and youth play a role in Bangladeshi terrorism, how the internet is used for recruiting terrorists, the discourses of the media and state regarding terrorism, as well as the politics of law and counterterrorism initiatives, including critically evaluating non-state actors and government responses.
In addition to providing an up-to-date analysis of terrorism and counterterrorism in Bangladesh, this book offers a balanced and unbiased perspective on this subject. It will appeal to academics and international policymakers who are researching violence and extremism in South Asia.