Ensuring Life without Terror

Imtiaz Ahmed's 'Ensuring Life without Terror' examines what it would take to build a terror-free Bangladesh, arguing that this requires long-term, institutional research that is objective and non-partisan. The book stresses that effective counter-terrorism policy must combine theory and practice, an area where Bangladesh lags behind countries like Norway, the UK, and Singapore. While Bangladesh has faced left-wing terrorism since the 1970s and religio-centric terrorism since the late 1980s, no lasting institutional framework has emerged to bridge this gap. The CTTC-CGS collaboration stands out as a rare exception in this regard.

The work also addresses the legacy of colonial policing and the need to open space for civil and social groups to participate actively in prevention efforts. Volume 1 covers topics such as identifying vulnerable groups, analyzing jihadi literature, and the relationship between terrorism, media, and the internet. Volume 2 extends the discussion to rehabilitation, community engagement, and the needs of counter-terrorism forces, probing how the human mind convinces itself to commit violence in the name of fear or faith. This is a serious academic contribution for researchers and policymakers concerned with security and violence prevention in Bangladesh.