From rooting out militants from their dens to engaging with the imams of mosques, the government and our law enforcement agencies have done much to fight the forces of terrorism.
For this, the government must be applauded.
It is unfortunate that some of these efforts oftentimes go unnoticed, with the government going as far as supplying anti-miiltancy khutbas at mosques, bringing over religious scholars from Makkah, carrying out cultural events promoting anti-militancy, and producing various documentaries, among others.
Unfortunately, this is not enough.
With the seeds of radicalisation taking root in younger and younger minds, what Bangladesh needs is a sweeping educational reform, and, subsequently, an overhaul of the very attitudes which give way to extremist thoughts.
The situation is further exacerbated by the current socio-political climate, which clearly show a lack of unity amongst ministries and political parties, and the ever-present corruption and bureaucratic malaise which plague the country.
What our nation, our people need are systematic improvements in the political scenario and appropriate changes in its educational sector -- both of which remain key in the fight against terrorism.
We cannot afford to pick our battles in this regard.
Removing terrorists or potential terrorists from society isn’t enough either. People must know that there is room for rehabilitation, so that they and their families are more willing to facilitate it.
In the long run, Bangladesh needs more than the use of guns to fight terrorism, which many see as being oppressive and threatening.
Most importantly, the people in this country need to work together to ensure that our children are not being influenced by nefarious forces in their schools, online, or elsewhere.
The only way to fight terrorism is to fight it on every front.
