Dr. Mohammad Imran Hossain (Ansary)
One Year ago, our nation witnessed a profound transformation. The July Uprising, born from political unrest, economic hardship, and the courageous mobilisation of our youth, fundamentally reset our political landscape. It was a seismic upheaval where the demand for accountability overcame violent repression, leading to a historic transfer of power.
Today, under the interim leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, we stand not at the finish line, but at the starting gate of an even more complex challenge: securing our nation’s future. In my recent presentation on Bangladesh’s national security landscape at the Youth Global Summit 2025 in the UK, I contended that the nation, as a small state, must carefully navigate a precarious path by balancing profound internal vulnerabilities with a volatile regional backdrop. The promise of reform is palpable, but the threats are equally real.
The Internal Front: A Landscape of Fractures
The revolution revealed the depth of our institutional decay. My analysis identifies three critical internal security threats we must immediately address: First, institutional instability and governance crisis. Over nearly two decades, the deep politicisation of state institutions by the previous Awami League-led government has severely crippled their functionality. The result is a bureaucracy in profound turmoil, struggling to find its footing and serve the public good without political interference.
Critically, institutions like the police and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) were systematically repurposed into instruments of political enforcement, leading to widespread allegations of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances becoming a common phenomenon. In the aftermath of the July Revolution, the chain of command within these forces remains fractured. Consequently, public trust in the police and RAB has yet to be restored, presenting a fundamental obstacle to achieving lasting stability and the rule of law.
Second, the alarming rise of non-state actors. In the power vacuum, we observe malicious forces at work. Online, supporters of the ousted regime wage relentless disinformation campaigns. Offline, we see counter-revolutionary violence masquerading as civil rights movements and the emboldenment of extremist elements. The disturbing events in Gopalganj and the alleged involvement of a military officer in training auxiliary cadres are not isolated incidents; they are symptoms of a broader intelligence and security gap.
Third, and perhaps most critically, we face a crisis of public trust. The collapse of law and order and the declining quality of government services risk eroding the very legitimacy of the interim government. We cannot build a secure state without the people’s confidence.
The External Arena: Sheltering in a Storm
Beyond our borders, the challenges are equally daunting. The Rohingya crisis has evolved from a humanitarian emergency into a severe national security threat, with camps becoming hotbeds for armed groups like ARSA. Some Rohingya refugees are involved in smuggling. Meanwhile, the civil war in Myanmar threatens to spill over our border, as Ethnic Armed Organisations like the Arakan Army operate perilously close to Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban.
In this complex environment, our interim government has adeptly pursued a policy of multi-vector alignment. We are strengthening economic partnerships with China through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) while maintaining crucial defense cooperation with the United States under its Indo-Pacific Strategy. This is not indecision; it is the essential strategy of a small state, strategic hedging and shelter-seeking to preserve our sovereignty amid great power competition as well as Indian political, economic and cultural aggression.
The Future Demands Resilience
However, we must be cautious. Over-reliance on any external power is a threat in itself. Our security is also jeopardised by non-traditional threats: the over 63 million cyber attacks we endured last year and sophisticated hybrid warfare campaigns that blend disinformation with political subversion.
The solution lies in resilience. Our diplomatic successes, like recently negotiated tariff reductions with the U.S., are vital. But true security must be built at home. The eleven reform commissions established by the interim government are the bedrock of this effort. Their work on constitutional, judicial, and anti-corruption reforms is not merely administrative; it is the cornerstone of our national defense.
Ultimately, our sovereignty cannot be outsourced. It must be cultivated through robust, transparent governance and a shared national vision. As we move forward, let us remember that our diplomatic finesse must be matched by an unwavering commitment to internal cohesion. Only then can we secure a Bangladesh that is truly sovereign, prosperous, and united.
(Views expressed in this article are the author’s own)
The writer is an Assistant Professor at State University of New York- DCC Campus
