The terrorists operating from inside the country, this time, have stormed a mosque of Ahmadiyyas in Rajshahi’s Bagmara upazila despite the fact that the government has invested all-out resources and intelligence to wipe out terrorists after sporadic attacks exhausted the nation.
Law enforcement agencies, armed with intelligence, have failed in taking pre-emptive measures against the killings of bloggers and foreigners, the attacks on the Shia mosque, the Ashura rally, or Navy mosques, attacks on police and army personnel, or other terror activities.
The government is blaming opposition parties for grooming terrorism for a decade, and is narrating mythical success in defeating terrorism, though the situation is still completely hostile.
Several ministers have been claiming that all the terror activities are interlinked, but nothing has been unearthed regarding who is behind the uprising of terrorism, its socio-religious and global factors, or its financiers.
The ineptitude of the law enforcers shows when the fates of the ethnic, religious, and open-minded people are being defined by the terrorists. The grand flaw in the Mirpur terrorist hunt, where two JMB leaders slipped through police fingers, raises a question about the capabilities of our law enforcers.
In the 15-hour crackdown, law enforcers seized 16 improvised grenades, ingredients for making over 200 bombs and grenades, a suicide vest, and 15 bullets, but the bomb-makers escaped. After hanging the top JMB leaders during the BNP-Jamaat regime, the renaissance of the outfit at the second consecutive regime of the Awami League poses a threat for the security of the country, and the failure of the government in uprooting terrorism is unpardonable.
Bangladesh is not known for a history of sectarian violence, but the pattern of terror attacks on soft targets in districts is worrying. That we now have an alleged suicide bombing incident at Bagmara means that the situation is heating up.
According to a daily newspaper, in 2015, at least 19 terror attacks or bombing incidents took place. After committing an attack, law enforcers are seen to be too serious, and ministers are seen defending themselves by blaming the opposition. That no one is taking responsibility for protecting the populace from the attacks clearly shows the government’s failure is combating terrorism.
With the killing of foreigners, and now attacks on places of worship of minority communities and various sects of Islam, it is clear what the perpetrators wish to achieve. Meanwhile, the claim by terrorist organisation IS in the media after any attack in Bangladesh is a new dimension of terrorism and its global linkage.
If Bangladesh’s intelligence has the technology available to monitor the Internet, and Bangladesh Bank is aware of terror financing, and several intelligence groups are working with a large number of local agents, how is it possible that the attacks continue to take place?
A divided society is fertile land for growing terrorism, and national unity is still a far cry as people are deprived from giving their mandate in electing a ruler. Putting aside all talks and the blame games, the government must prove its capacity, and aggressiveness to fight terrorism.
