TO trace the origin of Taleban we have to travel back to the eighties. It was then that the Soviet Union found itself locked in battle against Afghanistan. In fact Afghanistan was the battle field and the battle against the Soviet Union was being fought by proxy by Afghan guerillas operating out of bases inside Pakistan. Since the cold war was at its height weapons were flowing from the USA and training and logistical support from Pakistan. Money was flowing freely from the oil rich’coffers of the Gulf Arabs.

The war lasted 10 years. It provided a golden opportunity to the West to severely maul the Soviet Union. The Soviets withdrew in disgrace much like the US had withdrawn from Vietnam in the seventies.

The debacle of the Soviet Union was the direct cause of the breaking up of that giant state. It was the most cataclysmic event at the fag end of the twentieth century which gave birth to independent Turkic states, thereby changing the pattern of relations worldwide. It has had an unexpected bonanza for Turkey. From a peripheral state of Europe. Turkey suddenly found herself in the centre of a region, which stretched right in the heart of Central Asia. And the population of the new states were their kith and kin and most spoke their language.

Landlocked Afghanistan has for long been the battlefield of expanding Empires. Thus during the heyday of the British Empire. Afghanistan drew the British Empire in occasional conflict with the Czar of Russia.

The withdrawal of the Soviet forces from Afghanistan in the late eighties created a totally new situation within Afghanistan. Soviet Union provided with whatever authority there was in Afghanistan. With their departure Afghanistan remained for a period virtually without any authority. True there was a semblance of Government in Kabul but the warlords.in far flung regions literally lorded it over.

The absence of.any authority in Afghanistan has brought about what goes by the name of Taleban. They have their shad-

owy origin in the mountains within Pakistan, which was the spring board for destruction of Ine Soviet forces within Afghanistan. According to insistent reports the Taleban is the hand maiden of the Pakistan Intelligence Agency Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). which has its tentacles far and wide including operations in Kashmir.

With the departure of the Soviet forces since Afghanistan became virtually an open country. Taleban, with their superior training swiftly moved into the void and captured large part of the country. It not only established effective control over the area conquered by them, they also established a

highly fanatical regime in the name of Islam. In their scheme of things women have no plate except behind tight black veils and no schools nor any work place. It is rather amusing to note that Afghanistan before •the advent of Taleban was not exactly a country, where women could move about freely. Indeed if anything Afghanistan from the social and economic points of view was a retrogade state.

Talebans have created within Afghanistan a civil war like situation, which has existed within its borders throughout its chequered history. Thus there are parallel centres of authority and leaders like Rabbani and'Dostum are vying for pbwer. Another country which is deeply interested in the affairs of Afghanistan is its neighbour Iran. The militant brand of Sunni Islam of the Taleban is anathema for Iran. That Taleban should try to take the lead by its fanatical brand of Islam is most unwelcome to Iran. In 1979 while toppling the regime of the Shah of Iran, the new rulers brought about what they describe as Islamic Revolution.

Iran and Pakistan have had the best of relations for nearly

half a century until the'advent of Taleban in Afghanistan. There are distinct spheres of influence within Afghanistan, where Iran plays no insignificant part. Taleban, with its fanatical Sunni brand of Islam, has literally upset the apple cart causing severe strain between two friendly neighbours — Iran and Pakistan. Indeed we witness periodic sectarian violence within Pakistan, where Sunnis massacre the Shias. Yet Pakistan is only a Sunni majority country with a very sizeable Shia population.

It is astonishing that Taleban should make its appearance in Bangladesh — so far from its home base. Furthermore Bangladesh is the ideal country

for religious amity, far removed from ethnic or sectarian violence. Indeed Bangladesh is for that matter the most homogenous - country imaginable. How is it possible that Taleban should suddenly become a subject of media attention?

Taleban has in all likelihood a master player behind. The focus is continuously on the ISI of Pakistan. There is no doubt that Taleban is a creature of Pakistan. Lately too many incidents are taking place in and around Bangladesh, which cannot be wished away as simple coincidence. The latest in the series is the cowardly attack on the very respected poet Shamsur Ranman. He escaped miraculously from the hands of his assassins in his own home.' Very rightly it has unleashed a storm of protest throughout the country and particularly among the intellectuals. Shamsur Rahman is a very eminent poet and he is specially associated with the Liberation of Bangladesh. Very frequently Madrassah bred politics is-com-ing to the fore. That the Madra'ssahs are the recruiting ground for Taleban is undoubted. The events in Brah-

manbaria vividly illustrate to what extent the fanatics are prepared to go to impose their brand of life within Bangladesh. We have to seriously consider if through Madrassph education we are not depriving a large part of our population from joining the mainstream and become citizens equipped with- modern knowledge.

An example from Turkey: The Government of the Welfare Party (RP) of Necmettin Erbakan was dragging the country towards obscurantism from which Mustafa Kemal Ataturk had saved the country in the early twenties. Fortunately for the Turks they have a powerful armed forces which enjoys genuine affection among the population because of its role in history. It takes its responsibility very seriously of being the guardian of Ataturk's reforms. The armed forces intervened and had the RP banned including its leader Erbakan. It took a very drastic step in the field of education. It changed the system of education by bringing an eight-year continuous education thereby eliminating the Madrassah-type education. In Bangladesh we have to seriously ponder about Madrassah Education.

Another point that has come to the fore is the attempt to destabilise the Government of Sheikh Hasina. It has to do with the trial of the assassins of Bangabandhu. The conclusion that we can draw is that Taleban is a mere smokescreen in order to destabilise the Government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina because the noose around the killers of Bangabandhu appears to get tighter.

Poet Shamsur Rahman's life has been saved miraculously. We can heave a sigh of relief. The Taleban game seems to have been exposed. The effort to destabilise the Government of Sheikh Hasina appears to have been frustrated. We can heave a sigh of collective relief. Yet we shall be foolish to lower our guard. The killers of Bangabandhu have not only the mobile phones but very long arms and their roots run deep and they have powerful protectors. The price of democracy is eternal vigilance.