Countering Violent Extremism in Bangladesh: How a norm receiver formulates CVE as public policy

The thesis elucidates how Bangladesh formulates the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) policy as a norm receiving country. Despite its proliferation in numerous countries and fierce criticisms against the policy for discursive practices, Bangladesh has recently embarked on CVE, exhibiting a paradigm shift from traditionally commissioned counterterrorism to CVE. What explains this shift? Underpinned by the interview method, the thesis navigates how the policy actors comprehend ‘what works’ in CVE, how the driving factors contribute to the policy formulation, and how exogenous policies and norms are diffused and localised in Bangladesh.

This research broadly presents twofold original contributions. Firstly, unlike the existing studies on counterterrorism and CVE of Bangladesh, which either emphasised the contents of Bangladesh’s counterterrorism or its criticisms, the thesis offers the first comprehensive account of CVE policy formulation by analysing 26 interviews of the policy actors. Secondly, in contrast to the existing literature that offers partial explanations of policy formulation, this study embarks on the public policy perspective to offer a comprehensive account of CVE policy formulation. To that end, the thesis takes an inclusive approach by collating three theoretical dimensions: drivers of public policy (Renard, 2021), Ideology, learning and policy diffusion (Butler et al., 2017) and localisation (Acharya, 2004; Skleparis and Knudsen, 2020).

This thesis argues that Bangladesh formulates CVE policy as a form of image building for the international audience. The policymakers embark on a ‘whole-of-society’ approach, accentuating the rejuvenation of liberal Islam and Bengali culture to create a shield against extremism. Moreover, along with the perceived limitations of traditional counterterrorism, four driving factors, including interests, ideas, institutions, and focusing events, collectively contribute to the formulation of CVE and safeguard the state’s interests. Furthermore, as a bottom-up approach, the policy actors actively diffuse and localise pioneering norms, thereby strengthening the policy and enhancing the country’s image.