Alienation leads to radicalisation

The youth if remain alienated from the nation building process will be vulnerable to being drawn into radicalisation and violent extremism, said diplomats and young entrepreneurs at a discussion in the capital yesterday.

The top diplomats underscored the need for ensuring the rule of law to tackle such threats. 

"They were disillusioned, disaffected and disfranchised and they expressed frustration in a destructive way," observed Maimuna N Ahmad, founder and chief executive officer of   the Teach for Bangladesh, referring to the Holey Artisan carnage by some radicalised youths from the well-off section of society.

The youth have enthusiasm for playing constructive role in nation building, but their aspiration and self-esteem is thwarted in a staggering unemployment of innumerable graduates coming out every year from both public and private universities, she observed.

Rafiqul Islam Khokan, executive director of Rupantar, an NGO, said violent extremism among the youth could be thwarted with the ideals of truth and non-violence of Gandhian philosophy.

Noakhali-based Gandhi Ashram Trust (GAT) which has been working since 1946 with the Gandhian philosophy, organised the discussion tilted "Role of Youth in Social Change and Gandhian Philosophy" at Brac Centre Inn, marking Mahatma Gandhi's 147th birth anniversary and International Day of Non-Violence to be observed today.

Musharrat Sharmee Hossain, a North South University teacher, said, "Alienation of a large section of youths will be there, as the English-medium education hardly exposes them to the mainstream Bangladeshi culture and politics."  

Korvi Rakshkand, founder of Jaago Foundation, said, "Putting the youth on an ideal track will not work so long as we keep blaming them and not listening to them."

There remains a question whether the youth of Bangladesh are ready to embrace the three cardinal principles of Mahatma Gandhi -- Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truth) and Tapasya (perseverance), said Vidiya Amrit Khan, director of Desh Group. 

Robaet Ferdous, an associate professor of Dhaka University, said, "We have seen youths [being] radicalised ideologically, not for hunger. It is not easy to fight such ideological motivation."

Nick Beresfor, acting country director of UNDP in Bangladesh, said the youths with all opportunities in their lives ensured carried out the Holey Artisan and Sholkia Eid congregation carnages.

He underlined the need for examining why it happened.

"Rule of law and good governance are the key to long-term solution to the violent extremism, as the rule of law strengthens all of us," added the UNDP official.    

The nation's development vision must capture the youth's aspiration; or else they would feel alienated and marginalised, said Alison Blake, the British high commissioner to Bangladesh.

The youth will certainly be violent if the state, groups and individuals are violent and the society is oppressive, said GAT President Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya who chaired the discussion.

He added that there should also be a counter narrative of the violence among the youth.

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said that there are 29 million people unemployed in the country, with unemployed youths adding to the figure every year from 28 public and over 200 private universities.     

Lawmaker Ushatan Talukdar and Indian High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla also spoke.