[01] Md. Ishtiaq Ahmed Talukder, Department of Security Strategies and Management, Institute of Security Sciences, Turkish National Police Academy, Ankara, Turkey; Department of Criminology and Police Science, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Santosh, Tangail, Bangladesh.

Crime has many faces, and transnational organized crime is one of them. Since business is a natural activity of human beings, they have found numerous ways to conduct it. With the pace of time state system got structured and more regularised in order to perform business smoothly. However, with the birth of ‘border’ and regularised business ideas, a new security threat emerged, which is transnational organized crime. With the increase of criminal organizations and the availability of modern technology, the degree of transnational threat has multiplied where only an organized and high level of an internationally authorized group can address the issue. There are plenty of other reasons like globalization, border tensions, war, etc. have opened the door for this problem to increase and directly affect public lives, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. This work mainly aims to study the security threats that arose by transnational crimes and their impact on Bangladesh, which is considered a corridor of trafficking and smuggling in South East Asia. Small arms trafficking, drug smuggling, and human trafficking have been a continuous security threat to the country. International support and cooperation through a mutual agreement have been found effective in diminishing the problem.

Arms, Drug, Human Trafficking, National Security, Transnational Security, Organised Crime and Bangladesh

[01] Wolfers, A. (1952). ‘National Security’ as an Ambiguous Symbol. Political Science Quarterly, 67(4), p. 481,484. doi: 10.2307/2145138. [02] Felsen, D., & Kalaitzidis, A. (2005). A Historical Overview of Transnational Crime. In Handbook of Transnational Crime & Justice (pp. 3–19). California, United States: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: 10.4135/9781412976183.n1 [03] Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. (n.d.). Transnational Security Threats in Asia [Conference Report Online]. Retrieved from https://apcss.org/college/workshops/past-conferences/transnational-security-threats-in-asia/ [04] Muniruzzaman, A. (2010). Bangladesh (Part I). In Caroline Ziemke-Dickens & J. Droogan (Eds.), Asian Transnational Security Challenge: Emerging Trends, Regional Visions. The Council for Asian Transnational Threats Research. Retrieved from http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a556999.pdf [05] Albanese, J. S. (2009). Transnational Crime [Data set]. Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/obo/9780195396607-0024.p.1. [06] Naef, W. (Ed.). (2001). Global Issues: Arresting Transnational Crime. An Electronic Journal of the U.S. Department of State, 6(2), 2. Retrieved from http://www.iwar.org.uk/ecoespionage/resources/transnational-crime/ijge0801.htm [07] United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2016). Transnational Organized Crime in the Pacific: A Threat Assessment [Organisational Report]. Bangkok, Thailand. Retrieved from http://www.unodc.org/documents/southeastasiaandpacific//Publications/2016/2016.09.16_TOCTA_Pacific_web.pdf [08] Woods, R. B. (1994). Cold War or Cold Peace. The International History Review, 16(1), 81–91. JSTOR. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40106852 [09] Countering Human Trafficking: Strengthening cross-border cooperation between Bangladesh, India and Nepal [Organisation]. (2017, May 30). Retrieved 3 January 2019, from UNODC South Asia website: http://www.unodc.org/southasia//frontpage/2017/May/strengthening-cross-border-cooperation-between-bangladesh--india-and-nepal-to-counter-human-trafficking.html [10] Sarkar, Goutam. (2018), Transnational Security Facing Threats: Bangladesh. South Asia Journal. website: http://southasiajournal.net/transnational-security-facing-threats-bangladesh/ [11] Hossain, Md. Z. (2009, June 9). Interview: Human trafficking in Bangladesh [Face to Face]. Retrieved from http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2009/June/human-trafficking-in-bangladesh.html [12] West, J. (2006). The Political Economy of Organized Crime and State Failure: The Nexus of Gree, Need and Grievance. Innovations: A Journal of Politics, 6. Retrieved from https://www.ucalgary.ca/innovations/files/innovations/west-the-political-economy-of-organized-crime-and-state-failure.pdf [13] United States Department of State. (2017). Country Reports on Terrorism 2016—Foreign Terrorist Organizations: Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami/Bangladesh (HUJI-B) [Online]. Retrieved from https://www.refworld.org/docid/5981e3dd13.html [14] Hodges, R. C. (n.d.). Bangladesh: The New Nexus for Transnational Terrorism [Online Journal]. Retrieved 2 January 2019, from Small Wars Journal website: http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/bangladesh-new-nexus-transnational-terrorism [15] Morgenthau, H. J. (1965). Politics among nations: The struggle for power and peace. New York: Knopf. /z-wcorg/. [16] Mastapeter, C. W. (2008). The Instruments of National Power: Achieving the Strategic Advantage in a Changing World (Naval Postgraduate School). Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Caligornia, USA. Retrieved from http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a493955.pdf [17] Cockayne, J., & Mikulaschek, C. (2008). Transnational Security Challenges and the United Nations: Overcoming Sovereign Walls and Institutional Silos [Organisational Report]. International Peace Academy. Retrieved from International Peace Academy website: https://www.ipinst.org/wp-content/uploads/publications/westpoint.pdf [18] Anggoro, K. (2003). Transnational security concerns, defence modernization and security cooperation in Southeast Asia. Dialogue Cooperation. 3/2003. Retrieved from http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/singapur/04601/d+c2003-3-anggoro.pdf [19] Smith, P. J. (2000). Transnational Security Threats and State Survival: A Role for the Military? Parameters: U.S. Army War College, 30 (3), 77. [20] Ahmed, Sheikh. (2018). Non-Traditional Security Threats of Bangladesh: Challenges and Policy Options. Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS). [21] Pumphrey, C. W. (2000). INTRODUCTION (pp. 1–18). Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College. JSTOR. Retrieved from Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College website: http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep12121.4 [22] Terrorism [Organisation]. (n.d.). Retrieved 5 January 2019, from Center for Strategic and International Studies website: https://www.csis.org/programs/transnational-threats-project/past-projects/transnational-threats-project-past-task-force-6 [23] Roser, M., Mohammed, N., & Hannah, R. (2018, January). Terrorism—Our World in Data. Retrieved 1 January 2019, from Our World in Data website: https://ourworldindata.org/terrorism#terrorism-after-9-11 [24] International Crisis Group. (2018). Countering Jihadist Militancy in Bangladesh (Organisational Report No. Asia Report No. 295; p. Brussels, Belgium). Retrieved from https://www.crisisgroup.org/asia/south-asia/bangladesh/295-countering-jihadist-militancy-bangladesh [25] Riaz, A. (2016). Who are the Bangladeshi ‘Islamist Militants’? Perspectives on Terrorism, 10(1). Retrieved from http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/485 [26] OSAC. (2020), Terrorism in South Asia: Bangladesh, OSAC Analysis. website: https://www.osac.gov/Content/Report/607a3a62-129a-4b76-91ce-17cad208a4c4 [27] Riaz, A. (2010). Islamist militancy in Bangladesh: A complex web. New York: Routledge. [28] The Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict. (2017). How Southeast Asian and Bangladeshi Extremism Intersect (Organisational Report No. 37). Retrieved from http://file.understandingconflict.org/file/2017/05/IPAC_Report_37.pdf [29] Wright, L. (2007). The looming tower: Al-Qaeda and the road to 9/11 (1. Vintage Books ed). New York, NY: Vintage Books. [30] Raman, B. (2008, November 18). Transnational Security Threats in India: A Data-Base International Terrorism Monitor. Retrieved 21 December 2018, from Raman’s Terrorism Analysis website: http://ramansterrorismanalysis.blogspot.com/2008/11/transnational-security-threats-in-india.html [31] Human Cost of Arms Trafficking ‘Runs Deep’, Disarmament Chief Stresses as Security Council Debates Halting Illicit Trade on ‘Dark Web’ [Organisation]. (2017, December 18). Retrieved 6 January 2019, from United Nations Meeting Coverage and Press Releases website: https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/sc13126.doc.htm [32] Khangchian, V. (2014). Arms Trafficking: Residual Networks. South Asia Intelligence Review, 12(52). Retrieved from http://old.satp.org/satporgtp/sair/Archives/sair12/12_52.htm#assessment2 [33] Emmers, Ralf. (2003). The threat of transnational crime in Southeast Asia: drug trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking and sea piracy. UNISCI Discussion Papers, núm. 2, mayo, pp. 1-11. Retrieved from https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=76711296006 [34] Wolf, S. O. (2014). The Rohingyas Crisis: A Security Perspective from Bangladesh. In APSA Comment (Vol. 11). www.apsa.info [35] Yilmaz, M. L., & Talukder, M. I. A. (2019). Economic Impact of Rohingya Exodus on Bangladesh- Rohingya Toplu Göçünün Bangladeş’e Ekonomik Etkileri. Liberal Düşünce Dergisi. https://doi.org/10.36484/liberal.592964 [36] United States Department of State Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. (2008). International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (Organisational Report No. Volume I Drug and Chemical Control; pp. 244–247). Retrieved from https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/102583.pdf [37] What is Human Trafficking? [Organisation]. (n.d.). Retrieved 6 January 2019, from Unodc.org website: https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/what-is-human-trafficking.html [38] Thomas, Dr. S. E. (2011). Responses to Human Trafficking in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka (pp. 9–24) [Organisational Report]. Regional Office for South Asia, India: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Retrieved from United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime website: https://www.unodc.org/documents/human-trafficking/2011/Responses_to_Human_Trafficking_in_Bangladesh_India_Nepal_and_Sri_Lanka.pdf [39] Chowdhury, J. A. (2004, September). Human Trafficking—A New Form of Slave Trade in Bangladesh [Online]. Retrieved 5 January 2019, from Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center website: https://www.hurights.or.jp/archives/focus/section2/2004/09/human-trafficking---a-new-form-of-slave-trade-in-bangladesh.html#note2