Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal recently said at a views exchange programme with members of law enforcement agencies that Bangladesh has been recognised as a model in tackling militancy. Militancy is like the fang of a venomous snake. It can inflict incalculable harms to the peace-loving people. It is clear as the daylight that the militant organisations are a formidable threat to the state. Their nefarious activities are aimed at destabilising the country. They can go to any length to serve their evil designs. It is the peace-loving people who have to bear the brunt of the actions of these unsavoury elements.

The brutal carnage at the Holey Artisan restaurant at Gulshan in the capital in the recent past speaks volumes of the heinous designs of the extremist elements. The incident triggered utter panic among the saner segment of the public. It is worrying to note that firearms and explosives are being recovered from the possession of the militants. The militants have their strongholds in different places, particularly in south-western region of the country.

After the hanging to death of six militants, including JMB Chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman and Siddiqul Islam alias ‘Bangla Bhai’, it was thought that the activities of the militants had been neutralized greatly in the country but the activities of the militants disproved it. Dreadful information relating to the secret activities of the militants is being divulged by a few activists of the organisations under police custody.

Unlike many countries, life in Bangladesh is relatively peaceful. Spine-chilling killing in Pakistan is mind-boggling. Although militancy and terrorism unleashed by some religious extremists disrupts peace in the country, the sinister effort has greatly been neutralized. But there is no room for expressing complacency. The government should be ever ready to face militancy.

There is no substitute for rooting out terrorism and militancy from the soil of Bangladesh. If peaceful environment persists in the country, local and foreign investors will come forward to set up industries. This will create employment opportunity for the jobless people on the one hand and strengthen the economy of the country on the other. It is expected that the government will strive to achieve this goal. All pro-liberation forces should build a collective resistance against militancy.