It is no big secret that ever since the fall of the previous government, fringe religious extremists have ostensibly become more emboldened in pushing their retrograde ideologies in Bangladesh.
Just recently, a girls football tournament in the northern part of the country had to come to an abrupt end after Islamist group Islami Andolan Bangladesh announced a protest rally against the event in Rangpur. Instead of reinforcing security, local law enforcers instead chose to ask the contesting teams to return home fearing reprisal from the hardliners. On the same breath, late last month two football matches, in Dinajpur and Joypurhat, were similarly suspended after their respective venues came under attack by religious extremists, according to various news reports.
Time and again, the interim government has proven itself utterly incapable when it comes to reining in extremists who now feel emboldened to carry out their intolerant and regressive agendas -- not only has the void in comprehensive law enforcement paved the way to a sharp rise in crime, but it now appears the threat of agitating extremists is also an element that must be dealt with.
