9 years of Holey Artisan attack: How it reshaped Bangladesh's anti-terrorism narrative

Nine years have elapsed since the macabre Holey Artisan attack that happened on 1 July in 2016 in Gulshan, Dhaka. Twenty-two people were slain during the militant attack, including 17 foreign nationals, sending shockwaves among people belonging to all echelons of the society. 

Before this attack, the country was suffering from an ostrich syndrome — unable to come to terms with the fact that extremist sentiment was slowly creeping into society. 

However, the Holey Artisan attack changed it all, leading to a deeper dig into the socio-economic realities, with the then government frantically looking for answers that were either avoided deliberately or hushed up earlier. 

This militant attack marked a watershed moment in Bangladesh's fight against terrorism as this was so far the biggest such event in the country since independence. The attack dropped like a bombshell, jeopardising the image of the country before the whole world. Desperate to regain its image, the then government revisited its anti-terrorism policy.    

From a sociological point of view, the incident left a jarring effect on society, both from an individual point of view and the greater social context. 

The attack brought the issue of radicalised social programming to the fore — three of the militants who were directly involved in the attack came from relatively sound social backgrounds. One of the militants belonged to a wealthy family while another one was studying at a Malaysian university. 

The fact that the militants belonged to affluent families and were well-educated jolted the dominant discourse about radicalisation as it was perceived that extremist training was more pervasive among those from poor or rural backgrounds. 

So, the Holey Artisan attack reignited the debate, prompting discussions about the root causes of radicalisation and railroading parents into reassessing their upbringing styles. 

Consequently, parents and relatives — even those belonging to the upper rung of the social ladder — became more vigilant and started keeping tabs on what their children were doing, especially in the digital space. 

Recurring debates helped to debunk myths and misconceptions about the profile of individuals vulnerable to radicalisation, leading to renewed focus on ways of social programming and parenting styles in the following years. 

While the state adopted a more robust counter-terrorism strategy, social awareness against anti-terrorism activities started to build up. Earlier, people (especially landlords) were oblivious to the likely effects of renting their house to anyone without proper background checks. After this attack, law enforcement agencies underscored the need for verifying identities of the tenants. 

On an individual level, people jolted themselves out of the inertia and started keeping their ears on the ground. Who are the young boys and girls fraternising with, where are they going, what are they pursuing — all came under scrutiny. 

From a broader perspective, an 'anti-terrorism sentiment' grew among people in general after observing the sheer brutality of the young militants who killed the hostages without any sign of remorse on their faces. 

Apart from these, after the incident, sociologists and policymakers emphasised delving deeper into the reasons behind the rise of extremist thoughts and radicalism among people. Since all the militants involved in the attack were young, it was necessary to take a deep look into the pent-up frustration brewing among the youth. Online activities of youths also came under the radar. 

In addition to individual efforts, a collective consciousness against extremism and radicalised ideas also gained currency in the years following the attack.

The Holey Artisan attack served as a wake-up call for everyone, including policymakers, social scientists and the masses.