Op-Ed (http://dhakatribune.com/section/Op-Ed)

(/)

Created on May 28, 2013 at 09:50

Countering violent extremism in Bangladesh

Faiz Sobhan (/author/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

Photo- Wikimedia

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