ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a detailed overview of the social, cultural and political context in which Bangladesh’s counter-radicalization and deradicalization programmes have been implemented. Bangladesh has a population of just over 140 million people squeezed into a land mass not much bigger than England and Wales, much of which is submerged during the monsoon season. The media in Bangladesh is also strong and largely free from government control. Bangladesh is composed of four major religions— Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism. The majority of the population is Muslim making the country the fourth largest Muslim country in the world. Bangladesh has a secular constitution and is committed to democracy. The 1990s saw the rise of a new phenomenon in Bangladesh, religious-based terrorism. Although regionally influenced, Bangladeshi terrorism does not have a strong international flavour. The government has deliberately adapted the themes of the events to the concerns of Bangladesh society.
