How the Jamaat took over Bangladesh Please note - This video is audio only
The India International Centre (IIC) hosted a book discussion on Seeds of Hate: Bangladesh’s Extremist Surge, an edited volume examining the rise of Islamist extremism in Bangladesh, with particular focus on Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and other radical organisations. The book is published by Grin News, the publishing arm and sister platform of Global Order.
Edited by Shahriar Kabir and Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury, the book brings together scholars, journalists, and policy experts to analyse how ideological radicalisation, political shifts, and regional dynamics are reshaping Bangladesh’s internal security and its implications for India and South Asia.
The discussion featured distinguished speakers from the fields of diplomacy, journalism, strategic affairs, and regional studies, offering diverse perspectives on extremism, democracy, state institutions, and India-Bangladesh relations.
This discussion on Seeds of Hate: Bangladesh’s Extremist Surge examines how Islamist extremism in Bangladesh has evolved from a political force into a deeply entrenched ideological ecosystem, with serious consequences for democracy, internal stability, and regional security.
The book argues that extremist organisations most notably Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh have not operated on the margins, but have systematically embedded themselves within political institutions, education systems, and civil society. This process, rooted in unresolved historical grievances from the 1971 Liberation War, has been sustained through ideological indoctrination, strategic political alliances, and transnational networks of influence.
Speakers emphasise that the rise of extremism in Bangladesh cannot be understood solely through the lens of electoral politics or governance failures. It represents a broader ideological struggle, one that seeks to rewrite history, undermine secular and pluralistic foundations, and normalise radical narratives within mainstream discourse.
The discussion highlights how democratic mechanisms have at times been exploited by extremist actors to gain legitimacy, while violence, intimidation, and targeted attacks against minorities, journalists, and secular voices have served as tools to silence opposition.
From India’s perspective, the panel underscores that Bangladesh’s internal trajectory has direct strategic implications. Political instability and ideological radicalisation across the border affect border security, regional counterterrorism efforts, and India’s broader neighbourhood policy. The speakers caution that complacency, both within Bangladesh and among regional stakeholders, risks allowing extremist narratives to harden into permanent political realities.
Ultimately, Seeds of Hate is presented not merely as a diagnosis of extremism in Bangladesh, but as a warning. It illustrates how ideological radicalisation, when left unchecked, erodes democratic institutions from within and why confronting it requires historical honesty, intellectual courage, and sustained regional cooperation.
Chapters -
00:00 – 4:46 - Introduction to the book and speakers
Dr Usha Mujoo Munshi, Chief Librarian, India International Centre (IIC)
4:49 – 5:56- Keynote Address
Hindol Sengupta, Co-founder, Global Order
5:57– 11:56 - Editor’s Address
Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury
11:57 – 28:15 - MJ Akbar, Former MoS External Affairs, Author & Senior Journalist
29:00 – 46:57 - Pankaj Saran, Member NSAB; Former High Commissioner to Bangladesh & Russia; Former Deputy NSA
47:26 – 1:06:54 - Dr Anirban Ganguly, Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation
1:07:10 – 1:20:03 - Dr Smruti Pattanaik, Research Fellow, IDSA & noted Bangladesh expert
Buy the book here: https://www.grinmedia.in/product-page/seeds-of-hate-bangladesh-s-extremist-surge?srsltid=AfmBOorT-KjbL6ez646PFad9mVXimZGBkU9ZGQRBlOXkA8qGoyOZueg3
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