So long the government was in denial mode, brushing aside out of hand all suggestions of the festering religious extremism in the country. Subsequently, this was followed by a tacit admission of the presence of these elements when the phenomenon became too obvious to admit of any further denial.

However, if the government had thought that it had done enough by proscribing two extremist religious parties and could sit pretty on its 'laurels', the events of August 17 must have come as a rude shock. Now that some of the BNP party members have thought it fit to go public about the poor handling of the situation by the government and about the fact that these elements have festered due to the implicit support of some members in the ruling coalition, it reinforces our call to look within and purge these elements. If there is a link it must be unearthed and corrective measures taken. It must be done since it strikes at the very roots of our nation's security.

Not only must the government listen to what the party men say by purging the party of the nefarious nexus, it must also pursue the extremists relentlessly. Sometimes it appears that a dead end has been reached, in the investigations and follow up of the cases, that forces one to presume a lack of commitment on the part of the government to root out extremism. It is highly disconcerting that the masterminds are yet to be nabbed, even more so when we find some of these wanted men slip through the government dragnet.

The government has its work cut out. It must take the statements of its own party men, that no doubt goes against the grain of its own view, but that may be closer to the truth than the government might care to think.

It is a wake up call that the government will ignore only at the peril of the state.