Decoding Tulshi’s voice for Trump to eliminate Islamists in Bangladesh
By Mujtoba Ahmed Murshed
Every strata of Bangladesh’s political faculty are rocked with the statement of the Director National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who strongly expressed the voice of the US President Donald Trump that he will not compromise with Islamic terrorism which is seen as a direct and ongoing threat to the American soil and the people.
On her visit to India, she said, President Donald Trump is truly worried about the present situation in Bangladesh over the longtime unfortunate persecution, killing, and abuse of religious minorities like Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians.
With a nervous tone, Muhammad Yunus, the government of Bangladesh, swiftly protested Tulsi Gabbard’s statement on Bangladesh sitting in India.
What exactly did Gabbard intend to convey to the world, and particularly to the Bangladeshi authorities? In light of her remarks, what aspect of her statement has caused discomfort for the current government of Bangladesh, led by Yunus, who is a close ally of democratic leaders in the United States?
Tulsi Gabbard’s entire statement highlights one critical point: The United States will never compromise with Islamic terrorists worldwide, as they all share a common objective – establishing a Caliphate.
Clearly, the system aimed at creating a Caliphate stands in direct opposition to democracy and the voice of the people, which is, frankly, a regressive ideology that seeks to plunge civilization into darkness.
Sitting in India Gabbard told Indian TV channel NDTV on March 17, “The long-time unfortunate persecution, killing, and abuse of religious minorities like Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and others has been a major area of concern for the US government and President Trump and his administration”.
Tulshi Gabbard put weight on the US government’s efforts to defeat “Islamist Terrorism” worldwide. She also said that President Trump remains very committed to combating and defeating the threat of Islamist terrorism.
“He re-designated the Houthis in Yemen as a terrorist organization after Biden took them off the terrorist list”, she said.
She also added, “Once again with the threat of Islamist terrorists and their global effort rooted in the same ideology and has the same objective, which is to rule and govern with an Islamist Caliphate. This affects people of other religions and they choose to carry this out through violent means”.
Mentioning about the of Russia-Ukraine War, she said the Biden govt didn’t make any effort to end it, but the US President Trump is moving for making “progress towards peace”.
With a bold voice she mentioned, “Under the previous administration, there was no effort at all towards peace or direct dialogue with Putin to bring an end to this war.
So, in a very short period of time, Trump has made much more progress toward peace than any other previous effort. President Trump will have a very productive conversation with Putin at the appropriate time, rooted in his unwavering commitment to peace”.
With my decades-long extensive experience working with the Japanese and German governments as a political analyst, I interpret the tone of the statement of the Director National Intelligence as an indication that the US is determined to take action against Islamic groups in Bangladesh, with the ultimate goal of preventing the establishment of a Sharia-based administration Caliphate in aim to construct peace for every people to enjoy.
Her words, “major area of concern” for the US government, reflect a clear commitment to target to purge these forces from Bangladeshi soil and their patrons as well.
Since she made this statement on Indian soil, the country has officially expressed its deep concern over Islamic Jihadists’ anti-Indian activities aimed at destabilizing the territorial integrity of India’s north-eastern region.
The ground reality indicates that the current government in Bangladesh, led by Dr. Yunus, is clearly backed by both Islamic political parties and non-political Islamic forces.
Additionally, the government’s increasing efforts to strengthen ties with Pakistani authorities have raised further suspicions in India.
Therefore, the Indian authorities got to believe that Bangladesh is turning towards Pakistan to set up a deeper ally, and that would cause damaging trouble for them.
In this context, the United States, a key ally of India – and notably, President Trump as Prime Minister Modi’s friend – has reportedly received classified intelligence on Bangladesh.
This information has likely influenced the US government’s statement on the matter.
For this reason, I believe the Trump administration will not overlook the Yunus government’s hostility with India and will take classified and strategic actions in the near future.
Given this, the Bangladesh Interim Government’s swift reaction to comments made by Tulsi Gabbard, as the authorities did not anticipate such a statement from the Director National Intelligence, the protest mentioned in the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh’s official page:We note with deep concern and distress the remarks made by Tulsi Gabbard, in which she alleged “persecution and killing” of religious minorities in Bangladesh and that “the threat of Islamic terrorists” in the country is “rooted” in the “ideology and objective” to “rule and govern with an Islamist caliphate”.
This statement is both misleading and damaging to the image and reputation of Bangladesh, a nation whose traditional practice of Islam has been famously inclusive and peaceful and who has made remarkable strides in its fight against extremism and terrorism.
Gabbard’s comments are not based on any evidence or specific allegations. They paint an entire nation with a broad and unjustified brush.
Bangladesh, like many countries around the world, has faced challenges of extremism, but it has continuously worked in partnership with the international community, including the US, to address these issues through law enforcement, social reforms, and other counterterrorism efforts.
Groundlessly linking Bangladesh to the idea of an “Islamist caliphate” undermines the hard work of countless Bangladeshis and their friends and partners around the world who are committed to peace, stability, and progress.
Bangladesh strongly condemns any efforts to link the country to any form of “Islamist caliphate”.
Political leaders and public figures should base their statements, especially about the most sensitive issues, on actual knowledge and take care not to reinforce harmful stereotypes, to fan fears and potentially even stoke sectarian tensions.
In support of our shared global efforts to combat extremism and terrorism, the Interim Government of Bangladesh remains committed to engaging in constructive dialogue based on facts and on respect for the sovereignty and security of all nations.
Though the Islamist regime in Dhaka denies the statements of Director National Intelligence, the reality presents a different scenario.
Flags of ISIS and Al-Qaeda are frequently seen at Islamic demonstrations, and in addition, leaflets distributed by the Islamic extremist group Hizbut Tahrir in Bangladesh call for resistance against the USA worldwide and advocate for establishing their rule on this soil.Call from Hizbut-Tahrir, Bangladesh chapter, on February 7, 2025, after Friday prayers, organized protest rallies and processions at various mosques in Dhaka and Chittagong.
The theme of the event was: “The Islamic duty imposed on the Muslim Ummah to resist the US policy of displacing the persecuted Muslims of Gaza”.
In a press conference at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump stated that the United States would take control of the Gaza Strip, claim ownership, and rebuild it.
He arrogantly further added that he had proposed to Jordan and Egypt the division of Gaza’s Muslim population, which they would be forced to accept.
The summary of speakers at the rally is as follows:O Muslims! Trump’s announcement came at a time when, with direct support from the United States, the illegal state of Israel has failed in its attempt to crush the morale of Gaza’s Muslims through war and genocide.
O Muslims! The Islamic duty imposed on the Muslim Ummah to resist the US policy of displacing the persecuted Muslims of Gaza is clear”.
In addition to other Islamic forces, the HTB mission is to turn Bangladesh into the puppet of Pakistan and on this spirit, on March 7, they orchestrated a march for the Caliphate, aiming to counter the spirit of Bangladesh’s Liberation War.
This date holds significance as it marks the day in 1971 when the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered a speech calling for national unity against the Pakistani rulers.
The march, however, was part of a broader conspiracy by Pakistan’s ISI, which seeks to revert Bangladesh to its former status as East Pakistan and use its soil to destabilize India.
The political reality in Bangladesh prominently shows that the current government is reluctant to take action against the Islamic jihadists who are on mission to hit out the ideologies of Bangladesh’s Liberation War – a fundamental base for Hindus, Christians, and Buddhists to live in peace – the US administration has no choice but to step forward with a strong message to take action, “… the threat of Islamist terrorists and their global effort rooted in the same ideology and has the same objective, which is to rule and govern with an Islamist caliphate.
This affects people of other religions and they choose to carry this out through violent means”.
