WITHIN 48 hours of arresting Kushtia town Mohila Awami League general secretary Taslima Khan Ankhi and her accomplice Rani, police on Thursday held Nahid Parvin Champa, a suspected woman cadre of outlawed Gano Mukti Fouz (GMF). They are all linked to the clandestine organisation.

Ankhi was arrested with fire arms and ammunition on a clear suspicion of being a patron and purveyor of weapons for an underground armed group (GMF) operating in southwestern part of the country. This has helped roll out the GMF connections. In fact, police have referred to sources as saying that at least 25-35 women using veil are active in the outlawed parties' network in Kushtia.

All that we have known so far by way of any association of woman's name with terrorism has been incidental; she would have confessed to knowing her husband or brother having been involved in terrorist activities. That's all. But now they are being seen in a leading frontal role serving as terrorists' outfit or in an amazon role.

It was only to be expected that the Kushtia Awami League promptly took a disciplinary action against Ankhi. But the very pertinent question is how could she have thrown dusts into the eyes of her AL colleagues and operate with a second clandestine identity hiding behind the façade of a designated local Awami League leader. Besides, she had also been arrested in 2006 in connection with the murder of a Jubo League leader in front of her house but was later released on bail.

Actually, the police say they tend to suspect that a good number of women involved in outlawed activities might either have been members of mainstream political parties or maintained relations with influential political leaders. If this turns out to be true, then there is cause for serious concern which must be addressed.

The startling revelations about women playing direct and frontal roles in extremist and subversive activities adds a whole new dimension to terrorism. That hard-headed organisers of terrorist and outlawed outfits may one day employ women in harder jobs in a social milieu where they are least expected in tougher roles -- so they are likely to be less noticed -- should not have been remote from the law enforcers' thinking. Now since there are signs that this is happening, the political parties, the community, local leadership and the law and order forces should be on guard against this and strive to nip it in the bud.