By Faiz Sobhan.
The Strategy to counter violent extremism has to be unique to the situation of Bangladesh
The recent horrific killing of Lee Rigby, a British soldier, in London by two Islamic extremists has once again highlighted the growing international problem of violent extremism, whether it is religious, right-wing or some other form.
Since assuming office nearly four and a half years ago, the Awami League-led government has made countering violent extremism one of its priority concerns and has demonstrated a strong commitment to tackling the threat. Sheikh Hasina, has continually stressed that her government has zero-tolerance towards terrorism and would never allow terrorists any space to operate in Bangladesh.
In recent years, law enforcement and intelligence agencies have launched a vigorous drive against suspected extremists, leading to regular arrests and disruption of any possible violent extremist plots. The combined efforts of government agencies such as the Bangladesh Police, the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), Directorate General Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and the National Security Intelligence (NSI) have all played a valuable role in countering violent extremism. The government has also enacted strong legislation to combat terrorism. Both the Anti-Terrorism Act 2009 and the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2009 were updated last year to make them more robust and bring them in line with international standards.
In April 2009, the government also formed a 17-member “National Committee on Militancy Resistance and Prevention,” headed by the state minister for home affairs and comprising of relevant ministries and security agencies, to tackle extremism and mobilise public opinion against extremist activities. The government also formed an eight-member “National Committee for Intelligence Coordination,” in July 2009, with the prime minister as chairperson, to co-ordinate the intelligence activities of different agencies. The committee would also be charged with improving the campaign against extremism through exchanges between law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
The government also introduced a strong National Education Policy in 2010, highlighting the need for reforming of the madrasa curriculum, where unregulated madrasas have developed their own curriculum. The government has also recognised the need for developing a strong awareness campaign and as a result has issued guidelines to 114,000 schools, madrasas and universities to warn students about dangers of religious militancy. In addition, the government plans to introduce anti-extremism chapters in academic text books.
The Bangladesh government has made a concerted effort to eliminate violent extremism nationally and beyond its borders. It has established cooperative links with a number of foreign governments in order to address the issue both regionally and internationally. With limited capacity and means, and a fraction of the resources of developed and some developing countries, this is a notable achievement in a Muslim-majority nation with a growing population of over 160 million people, and the third largest Muslim population in the world.
The overall success of Bangladesh in countering violent extremism can be attributed to factors such as the abomination of terrorism in a society where the vast majority of Bangladeshis are religiously tolerant; where democratic traditions are fairly firmly established; and where women’s empowerment and their voice in society has become increasingly important. However, the threat of violent extremism from a number of extremist groups remains real. With reports of increasing extremism, the concerned security authorities have to maintain a constant vigil, on local as well as transnational groups, who wish to operate covertly in the region.
With extremism being a prime national security concern, Bangladesh needs to continue its strong drive against countering extremism with soft power approaches in counter-radicalisation and de-radicalisation of extremists. This can be achieved by employing a number of strategic tools to generate greater awareness in society regarding extremism. Such an anti-extremism campaign should include billboard posters and infomercials on mass media outlets including radio and television, as well as cinemas. In addition, there needs to be a regular series of religious sermons in mosques, community centers and other venues to counter the fatalistic ideology of violent extremism. Measures should also be undertaken to rehabilitate and reintegrate into society former extremists who are incarcerated. Here, lessons can be offered by respected Islamic scholars and psychologists to former extremists to modify their way of thinking by highlighting the irreligious aspects of espousing and using violence to meet their objectives. Other crucial measures could be the inclusion of using family members in providing support and care to former extremists.
The strategy to counter violent extremism and win hearts and minds has to be unique and relevant to the dynamics of religious, societal and cultural customs and traditions of Bangladesh. Those strategies to counter violent extremism that have been tried in other parts of the world may not necessarily work in this country, but lessons could be learnt from what has worked and we can endeavor to apply them in the context of Bangladesh. In the end, there should be a comprehensive religious, social and benevolent approach to countering violent extremism by government as well as non-government actors. It is equally important to try and comprehend the pathways to and from violent extremism. Success in countering violent extremism cannot be expected overnight, but much can be achieved over the course of time through unwavering commitment and fortitude of whichever government is in charge.
Faiz Sobhan is research director, Bangladesh Enterprise Institute.
