Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh has got the 23rd ranking among 162 nations in the Global Terrorism Index [GTI] due to high risk of terrorist activities.
According to the latest report published by the Australia based Institute for Economics and Peace [IEP], Bangladesh is among the 13 countries listed vulnerable to substantial terrorism risk and the third South Asian country which is facing danger along with Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
“About 13 countries are facing a greater risk of substantial terrorist activity in the coming years,” the IEP report said, “the countries are: Angola, Bangladesh, Burundi, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Iran, Israel, Mali, Mexico, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Uganda.”
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The index scores 162 countries, covering 99.6 per cent of the world’s population, and examines trends from 2000 to 2013. It used four indicators to create a five-year average for each country.
The IEP, the international non-profit research body, in its report also said, the number of terrorist attacks around the world has increased dramatically as over 80 per cent of all terrorism occurs in only five countries. “The pattern of terrorism acts in the South Asian regions mostly includes explosions,” it said.
“Terrorism has become a global phenomenon with a 61 per cent increase in the number of people killed in terrorist attacks in the last year. Iraq is the country most impacted by terrorism. Last year there were 2,492 terrorist attacks which killed 6,362 people. It is followed by Afghanistan and Pakistan,” the report said.
Referring to recent statistics, the IEP report said that some 17,958 people were killed in terrorist attacks last year [2013], that’s 61 per cent more than the previous year [2012]. “Eighty two per cent of all deaths from terrorist attack occurs in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria and Syria,” it said.
The IEP in its findings said, “In 2013, 66 per cent of all fatalities from claimed terrorist attacks were caused by four terrorist groups: the Taliban, Boko Haram , ISIL and al-Qa’ida. The primary targets of terrorist attacks are citizens and private property.”
“Last year terrorism was dominated by four groups: the Taliban, Boko Haram, ISIL, and al Qa’ida. More than 90 per cent of all terrorist attacks occur in countries that have gross human rights violations,” it continued.
Explaining the causes behind terrorism, the IEP report said, “The three main factors associated with terrorism are state sponsored violence such as extra-judicial killings, group grievances and high levels of criminality.
“Poverty rates, levels of schools attendance and most economic factors have no association with terrorism. Most terrorist attacks use explosives; since 2000 only five per cent were suicide attacks,” it mentioned.
It also showed the way how terrorist groups end, and said, “Since the 1960s, 83 per cent of terrorist organisations that ended, ceased to operate due to policing or politicisation. Only seven per cent ended due to military intervention.”
The report stated that a total 17,958 lost their lives to terror in 2013, 61 per cent more than last year. Nearly 10,000 terror attacks have taken place, 44 per cent more than the previous figure.
In 2013, 24 countries experienced terrorist attacks that killed more than 50 people. There were 75 countries that did not experience a terrorist attack.
Steve Killelea, Executive Chairman of IEP, said, “Terrorism doesn’t arise on its own; by identifying the factors associated with it, policies can be implemented to improve the underlying environment that nurtures terrorism.”
“The most significant actions that can be taken are to reduce state-sponsored violence such as extra-judicial killings, reduce group grievances and hostilities, and improve effective and community-supported policing,” he noted.
Although terrorism is on the increase and a major concern compared to other forms of violence, it is relatively small when compared to the 437,000 people killed by homicide in 2013. In the US, an individual is 64 times more likely to be victim of a homicide than terrorism.
As per GTI, the definition of terrorism is, “the threatened or actual use of illegal force and violence by a non-state actor to attain a political, economic, religious or social goal through fear, coercion, or intimidation”.
IEP was founded by Australian entrepreneur and philanthropist Steve Killelea in 2008. The institute is an UN-accredited NGO in Special Consultative Status to the UN Economic and Social Council.
