MOHAMMAD JAMIL KHAN

The proposal to appoint psychologists for deradicalisation programme remains stuck in a bureaucratic tangle.

This comes despite repeated warnings that arrested militant suspects became more dangerous after being sent to jail and spending time with extremist groups’ top leadership there.

A year back, the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit sent a proposal to temporarily appoint psychologists in line with a previously approved project to provide counselling to arrested extremists in jail.

The project, titled “The Construction of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime prevention Centre of Bangladesh Police”, was approved in 2019 with a budget of Tk 350 crore.

On January 17 last year, under the project, CTTC first sent a proposal to directorate of prisons to obtain permission to provide counselling of extremist prisoners in jail.

The prison directorate responded with a no-objection on February 15 of the year, and requested the government to approve appointment under the project.

However, on March 25, security service division (SSD) of the home ministry refused to allow such a step and suggested police to apply again by informing the public security division of the ministry, according to sources.

As per the suggestions, CTTC applied again via the PHQ on August 28, through the public security division. In the next five months, the letter managed to reach the SSD. However, it’s still waiting for approval.

In the letter, a copy of which was obtained by this newspaper, CTTC said it is possible to bring back those who were misled by militant outfits into mainstream society, after changing their mentality through proper explanation of religious ideas.

We need softer approaches along with the hard approach to prevent extremism. For this, deradicalisation needs to start from jail, and this initiative needs to start immediately.

MD ASADUZZAMAN

Chief of CTTC unit