In the 500 separate bombings by Islamists in 2005 in Bangladesh, 82 Islamists remain in prison and should undergo this type of rehabilitation program. The power of moderate clerics working in prisons and using their religious backgrounds to debunk violent interpretations of the Koran has paid huge dividends in dissuading jihadists from returning to action. This policy will work in Bangladesh as well.

Reduce Poverty and Illiteracy

Islamists have capitalized on the poverty-stricken nature of Bangladeshis in recent years. They have harnessed the age-old recruiting technique of telling the people that they are destitute and that only complete servitude and support for an Islamic state and a radical interpretation of Islam will solve their problems. Many poor Bangladeshis have fallen prey to this line and have begun to internalize the hope for a better life in an Islamic state. If, however, poverty is reduced and Bangalis see the potential for progress, they will not be as beholden to radical Islam. Simply put, if the economy gets better, the grip of JI and Islamists will weaken.

The numbers from the last term of the secular Awami League speak for themselves. With Sheikh Hasina’s five year term bookended by the BNP, it is relatively easy to see the effect of secularism on the country. From 1996 at the start of her term to 2001 when she left, the poverty rate decreased from 58 percent to 40 percent, literacy rate increased from 45 percent to 66 percent, longevity was extended from 57 to 64 years, foreign investment from the United States rose from US$20 million to US$2 billion, inflation dropped from 6.4 percent to 1.59 percent, and GDP growth increased from 4 percent to 6 percent. Also of great import, the national food deficit of 4.5 million metric tons was transferred into a 2.6 million metric ton food surplus by the end of her term. Moreover, the focus on education, jobs, food-growth, and secular government kept the numbers of Islamists within the government down and marginalized the power of JI.

The success story of Sheikh Hasina was nullified by questionably administered elections in 2001; however, the Awami’s loss allows us to see the deleterious effect of the BNP and JI on the country. In 2006, after five years of BNP-JI rule, poverty increased again from 40 percent to 48 percent and the literacy rate fell from 66 percent to 63 percent. The military caretaker government has only aided in this downward death spiral that has seen poverty increase, literacy decrease, and the growth of Islamism. Notwithstanding the systemic corruption introduced since 1975 by past military dictators, the correlation of secularism and positive results is difficult to dispute in Bangladesh.

If Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League win the upcoming December election, this downward trajectory of poverty, literacy, and Islamism will be averted. This de-radicalization plan has great potential for success. The Bangladeshi people are starting to see the connection between secularism and success in Bangladesh. The time is ripe for them to support these initiatives. In the careful balancing act between Islam and governance in a Muslim country, it appears that the pendulum has tipped to the side of secularism. The Awami League must build on this momentum to ensure its long-term success.