Expanding network in Central Asia and Bangladesh led to HuT Ban

The Narendra Modi government, which declared Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) as a terrorist organisation, has been keeping a close watch on increasing HuT activities in the extended neighbourhood in Central Asia despite a ban on the organisation by five Central Asian states besides Bangladesh, said people familiar with the matter.

HuT, along with Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan and Ansarullah Bangla Team, allegedly hijacked the student movement that led to the ouster of PM Sheikh Hasina in August, they said, adding that over the past two months HuT leaders in Bangladesh have been flexing their muscles through public display of the organisation’s propaganda.

Besides JeI, the growing network of HuT in Bangladesh is under the scanner of the security establishments globally. Mahfuz Alam, a student with alleged allegiance to Hizb ut-Tahrir was appointed as special secretary to Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser to the interim government in Bangladesh.


HuT first became active in Bangladesh when the BNP-Jamaat coalition was in power, advocating for the establishment of an Islamic Caliphate. The organisation is also banned in several other Muslim-majority countries due to allegations of spreading extremism globally. Central Asian governments are cracking down against HuT, according to people in the know.

While ISIS is spreading its network from Afghanistan to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan is cracking down against HuT. Recently, authorities in Kazakhstan have also acted against extremists in certain pockets of the country. This year, the Kazakh authorities detained several radicals, including a foreign national, who are suspected of spreading terrorism and radical propaganda, and recruiting people for these purposes, said the people.

Between March and May, the Kyrgyz authorities detained several members of HuT from across the country and confiscated weapons and literature from them.

India’s security establishment has been keeping a close watch on growth of extremist ideology in Central Asia – which is known for its tolerance and pluralism – that may impact India. India shares robust counterterrorism cooperation with each of the Central Asian nations and it is expected to strengthen partnership with these nations in the coming months, said the people cited earlier.