The soldiers of God: Rebels of globalisation in BangladeshIn the previous section, I argued that globalisation refers to a global discourse

of society, economics, culture and politics. One of the main aspects of globalisation, as Giddens (1990) states, 'is about the intensification of worldwide social relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa'. However, it has its own limitations as Clark (1997) argues, that globalisation shows a tendency of fragmentation within itself. Bauman (2000) explains: 'globalisation tends towards disaggregation, autarchy and isolation, as well as ethnic or nationalistic separatism and regional integration'. Therefore, theoretically as well as practically, as is increasingly recognised now, it is globalisation's nature that it will create an alternative discourse to its homogenising tendencies. According to Hall et al. (1992), this alternative discourse has no fixed political inscription; it can be either progressive or regressive and even fundamentalist. This is where the story of another aspect of globalisation of Bangladesh begins where I examine the raison d'tre behind the rise of Islamist movements in the country. In Bangladesh, globalisation has had a mixed impact. It has created new opportunities for income generation with the entrance of multi-national corporations and opened the door of migration through which five million Bangladeshis have gone outside of the country in search of their livelihoods. According to an economic report from Bangladesh, textile exports and remittance sent by migrant workers are the two biggest sectors which enable the country to increase its foreign currency reserve. By contrast, a bleak scenario is emerging in globalised Bangladesh. According to the United Nations, 80% of Bangladesh's population of 143 million lives on less than $2 a day (quoted in Gouverneur: 2005). Moreover, United Nation's 2008 human development index (HDI), which provides a composite measure of three dimensions of human development -- living a long and healthy life, being educated and having a decent standard of living -- Bangladesh ranks 147th out of 179 countries. As a consequence of such bleak globalisation, a section of the masses in Bangladesh, who are already economically deprived and exploited by a group of elite feel that the presence of the west-dominated capitalist agendas which also promote foreign western culture in the country are eroding traditional Muslim values. These groups of people take comfort in transnational Islamist movements since they propagate against the west and engage them in transnational activities. It is because as Al-Rasheed (2005) argues, 'transnationalism has become something to celebrate, as an expression of subversive popular resistance from below'. Moreover, the 'leaflets and publications' of the transnational political organisations articulate that the west is a source of evil power which purposefully is building a neo-empire at the cost of Muslim culture and Muslim lands. Thus the discourse of 'local' develops within the dominant 'global'

discourse in Bangladesh. Here the transnational actors of Islamists -migrant and diaspora, inter-regional Muslim political parties and Islamic charities -- play a significant role in developing the local discourse of Islam against the global discourse of capitalism. However, at the same time they use the blessings of globalisation, i.e. the usage of the internet. This is not an isolated issue in Bangladesh. Throughout the Muslim world including, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Syria, Algeria and Sudan, transnational political Islam preaches the return to the golden age of Islam against the backdrop of globalisation that dislocates people for economic necessities, stresses traditional local culture and downplays social justice. In other words, transnational political Islam fosters itself within the realm of an alternative discourse of globalisation. It is globalisation's own product and readable as an open rebel to globalisation; in my opinion, it will continue to grow not only in Bangladesh but also all over the world in coming days. Interesting, isn't it? Once a nation fought and sacrificed lives for its own language and to have its own flag, and is now increasingly hybridised with a mix of identities and cultures. Unavoidable discursive transnational forces of globalization disrupt the nature of traditional culture, social boundaries and foster the rooted cosmopolitanism within Bangladeshis where agents for consumer cultures and rebels of globalisation who themselves are products of globalisation, are maneuvering. With the increasing popularity of rock culture and the alarming increase of youth participation in Islamist movements, I would say we are now increasingly turning into a hybrid society. However, this is not a distinct phenomenon in this world -- after all, the world has changed! ********************************************************* Al-Rasheed, Madawi.2005. Transnational Connections and the Arab Gulf. London: Routledge. Alasuutari, Pertti.2000. Review Essay: Globalization and the Nation-State: An Appraisal of the discussion. Acta Sociologica.43: 259-269. Bauman, Zygmunt (2000) Globalization: The Human Consequences. New York: Columbia University Press. Beck Ulrich. 2003. Rooted Cosmopolitanism: Emerging from a Rivalry of Distinctions. Eds Ulrich Beck, Natan Sznaider and Rainer Winter PP 15-29. Liverpool. Liverpool University Press. Clark, Ian.1997. University Press. Globalization and Fragmentation Oxford, Oxford

Faizul A Tanim. April 30,2004. The Turbulent Evolution of Bangla Rock. The Daily Star Magazine. Available at (http://www.thedailystar.net/magazine/2004/04/05/coverstory.htm)

Frith, Simon (1981), Sound Effects. New York: Pantheon. (2000), 'The Discourse of World Music', in Georgina Born and David Hesmond-halgh (eds), Western Music and Its Others. Berkeley: University of California Press:30522. Giddens, Anthony. 1990. The Consequences of Modernity. Cambridge, Polity Press. Gouverneur, Cedric. August 2005. Bangladesh in the grip of globalised trade. Le Monde Diplomatique. Available from http://www.hartfordhwp.com/archives/52/036.html (Accessed on 03/07/2009) Grossberg, Lawrence (1984), 'Another Boring Day in Paradise: Rock and Roll and the Empowerment of Everyday Life', Popular Music 4: 22558. Hall, Stuart and Gieben, Bram (eds) 1992. Modernity and its futures. Cambridge: Polity. Hebdige, Dick (1979), Subculture: The Meaning of Style. London: Methuen.York : Random House. Kibria, Nazli. 2008. Muslim Encounters in the Global Economy: Identity developments of labor migrants from Bangladesh to the Middle East. Ethnicities. 8(4): 518535. Mandaville, Peter.2001. Transnational Ummah. London: Routledge. Muslim Politics: reimagining

Mandaville, Peter. 2007. Global Political Islam. New York: Routledge. Riaz, Ali. 2008. Islamist Militancy in Bangladesh: a complex web. London. Routledge. Robertson, Roland (1995) 'Glocalization: Time-Space and HomogeneityHeterogeneity'. In Mike Featherstone, Scott Lash and Roland Robertson (eds.) Global Modernities (pp. 25-44). London: Sage. Regev Motti. 2003.Rockization': Diversity within Similarity in World Popular Music n Global America? The cultural consequences of Globalization. Eds Ulrich Beck, Natan Sznaider and Rainer Wnter PP 222234. Liverpool. Liverpool University Press. Russel Ali. Musical Artist. Available http://www.thebutterflyeffectfoundation.org/?pg=advisory at

The Evolution of Band Music in Bangladesh. March 2011. Playlist. Issue 1. Dhaka. Wunderlich, Jens- Uwe and Warrier, Meera. 2007 A Dictionary of Globalization. UK: Routledge.

Wicke, Peter (1990), Rock Music: Culture, Aesthetics and Sociology. Cambridge Cambridge University Press. Mubashar Hasan is a former journalist who now works as a media and communications specialist.