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Equal Treatment: The Key to Combating Radicalisation, Says Former Maldivian Vice-President

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  Published in Politics and Government on Wednesday, December 24th 2025 at 17:03 GMT by NDTV

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Equal Treatment as a Remedy for Radicalisation – A Former Maldives Vice‑President’s Take on Bangladesh

In a recent conversation that has already been picked up by several Indian and international media outlets, a former Vice‑President of the Maldives (MPV) offered a compelling thesis: equal treatment of all citizens and communities is the most effective antidote to radicalisation. While the remark was framed in the context of the Maldives, the speaker drew a vivid parallel with Bangladesh, a country that has, over the past decade, struggled to wrestle with a growing insurgency from Islamist fringe groups. By weaving together lessons from his own nation’s experience with broader regional concerns, the MPV suggested that an inclusive governance model could avert the very conditions that breed extremism.

The Core of the Argument

The crux of the MPV’s argument was that radicalisation is not a theological or purely ideological phenomenon; it is fundamentally a social and economic issue. “When people feel marginalized, left behind or discriminated against, the idea of a radical ideology becomes an attractive shortcut to a sense of belonging and purpose,” he said. “The key to preventing radicalisation is therefore not just policing the hard‑liners, but ensuring that every person in society—regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender or socio‑economic status—has equal access to justice, employment, education and political representation.”

The former vice‑president further stressed that policy consistency matters. In the Maldives, he noted, the government has historically maintained a policy of non‑discrimination toward foreign workers and minority communities. “We have a history of protecting our foreign workforce and ensuring that no one is treated differently on the basis of religion or nationality,” he recalled. “This consistency has helped us avoid the kind of grievance‑based radicalisation that can be seen in other contexts.”

Bangladesh as a Case Study

To illustrate the dangers of neglecting equal treatment, the MPV pointed to Bangladesh—a nation with a 163‑million population that has seen its own share of terrorist activity, most notably from groups such as Jamaat‑ud‑Dawa, which is believed to have links to the Taliban, and the Bangladesh Ansar militant faction. He noted that Bangladesh has implemented several anti‑terrorism measures in recent years, including the Bangladesh Counter‑Terrorism Act of 2019 and the formation of the National Counter‑Terrorism Commission. While these legal instruments are important, the MPV cautioned that “they must be accompanied by socio‑economic and inclusive governance measures.”

The former vice‑president also referenced a recent incident in which a Bangladeshi‑born individual, who had been radicalised abroad, was intercepted in the Maldives. He said that the situation highlighted the need for cross‑border cooperation and shared intelligence. “Bangladesh and the Maldives share a maritime boundary that has seen both friendly trade and illicit trafficking. To counter radicalisation, the two nations must work together on information sharing, joint border patrols, and coordinated counter‑terrorism operations.”

Policy Recommendations and Regional Cooperation

Drawing from both the Maldives’ experience and Bangladesh’s ongoing struggle, the MPV suggested several policy measures:

1. Strengthen Social Safety Nets – Provide affordable housing, healthcare and employment opportunities to prevent the socio‑economic void that radical ideologues exploit.
2. Institutionalise Anti‑Discrimination Laws – Enforce robust legal frameworks that safeguard the rights of minority communities, particularly migrants, to avoid resentment and alienation.
3. Promote Inclusive Political Representation – Ensure that national parliaments and local councils include representatives from all ethnic and religious groups so that no community feels politically invisible.
4. Invest in Counter‑Narrative Education – Launch media and educational programs that promote pluralism, tolerance and critical thinking, especially among the youth.
5. Enhance Regional Counter‑Radicalisation Cooperation – Create a Southeast Asian and South Asian “Counter‑Radicalisation Task Force” that facilitates intelligence exchange, joint training, and best‑practice sharing.

The MPV also highlighted regional forums—such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi‑Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)—as platforms for formalizing these collaborative measures. “We cannot tackle radicalisation in isolation,” he said. “It is a transnational problem that requires coordinated policy responses across borders.”

Links to Broader Context

While summarising the MPV’s points, the article also linked to several additional pieces that help flesh out the context:

• NDTV’s coverage of Bangladesh’s Counter‑Terrorism Act provides an overview of the legal framework that Bangladesh has built over the past few years.
• A related piece on Bangladesh’s crackdown on the Bangladesh Ansar faction offers background on the domestic threats the country faces.
• Another NDTV article discusses the role of the Maldives in global counter‑terrorism efforts, underscoring how the island nation’s small size belies its strategic importance in maritime security.
• A UN press release on the importance of inclusive governance in preventing radicalisation provides a global policy perspective that dovetails with the MPV’s argument.

Concluding Thoughts

The former Vice‑President of the Maldives has delivered a clear and actionable message: equal treatment is not merely a moral imperative; it is a strategic necessity in the fight against radicalisation. By drawing parallels between the Maldives’ inclusive policies and Bangladesh’s challenges, he has illustrated how a balanced approach—combining legal deterrence with socio‑economic inclusion—can mitigate the root causes of extremism. In a world where the line between domestic grievances and international security has grown increasingly blurred, such an integrated, people‑centric strategy offers a viable path forward for Bangladesh, the Maldives, and the broader South Asian region.

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