The prolonged engagement

The recent arrest of the JMB chief by law enforcement units after apparently painstakingly sustained efforts, and developments thereafter, once again points to the depth of the deadly phenomenon of the so-called religious terrorism and perhaps also the supreme necessity of maintaining constant vigil.
This scribe has in the past impressed that the terrorism in question that we are confronted with is not like any routine law and order phenomenon and as such demands multi-pronged action.
The above observation becomes relevant when one recalls the arrest of quite a number of so-called religious terrorists in the recent past, along with arms and ammunitions, and the consequent sense of relief felt by some quarters in the regulatory set-up.
One could also re-collect the executions of six dreaded terrorists in the not-too-distant past and the naïve thoughts of some in the corridors of power that the irritant of religious terrorism has been taken care of once and for all.
Undoubtedly, the events of the immediate past lend credence to the apprehension that we have not yet been able to adequately appreciate the threats that exist and have a bearing on our democratic existence.
One may ponder if we are late in awakening to the reality that we are fighting against a state of mind that does not share the pluralist values of an open society? One has to bear in mind that the religious extremists, despite being a miniscule proportion of the population, carry the potential of destabilising the polity. The question is, do we see a process that creates cognitive preconditions to generate terrorist acts on account of ideological motivations?
Don't we realise that the grievances of Islamic extremists, perceived or real, are both local and international in nature? There is no doubt that such grievances acquire significance in a conducive environment for radical actions. It is thus not surprising that there has been a noticeable expansion of the so-called Islamic extremists and their transnational activities.
As against the above apprehensions and well-grounded fears, is there a lack of political consensus and less than adequate institutional capacity, particularly of the regulatory, outfits in combating the extremist threats? It is not uncommon now for extremist groups in one country to train and coordinate activities and assist groups in another country.
Overt intelligence sources indicate that religiously motivated extremist groups are increasingly relying on each other in different countries for assistance, financing and training.
In fact, domestic groups with local grievances are now forming international alliances in pursuit of their extremist goals and also the furtherance of those objectives. The worry is, are we providing space to dreaded extremist groups whose hitherto secure bases elsewhere have been weakened?
The reasonable fear in our situation, as elsewhere, is whether religion has not only been utilised as an ideology but also as an insurrectionary strategy that can draw people of varying political convictions.
The so-called Islamist terrorist groups have been found to organise themselves around the rhetoric of a radical interpretation of Islam and seek to impose religion in the politics of Bangladesh. Such terrorism, in terms of growth, benefits from the unhealthy competition to retain or gain power at any cost.
Though unfortunate, the reality is that in garnering political support some political parties have been perilously oblivious of the cost and repercussions of encouraging extremist ideas and actions. The fact of the matter is that, religiously motivated extremists have from to time attacked government officials and institutions to further their religious and political objectives.
There is an overriding and overarching need to take a long and deep look into the threat of religious extremism as we have to fight a prolonged battle against an aberration that has taken a firm root. Shortcomings of state law enforcement agencies, though not alarming, are matters that need urgent attention for attaining professional efficiency.
Political parties, civil society and policy-makers have to engage actively to plug the well-known deficits that account for the thriving of extremist thoughts and beliefs. The inadequately regulated network of charities, banks and inconsequential anti-money laundering activities are causes for concern.
Do we have one educational stream wherein pupils leave schools with only a rudimentary knowledge of the world but nurse a fanatical belief in the supremacy of their religion and their responsibility to fight and ensure its spread?
Have the quality of our liberal secular educational institutions and the service delivery of our criminal and civil justice system declined over the years thus making room for intolerant ideas to grow and spread its tentacles?
Surely, we in Bangladesh cannot allow the prejudiced minds to act as arbitrators of individual and community disputes and financiers of education and livelihood.

Muhammad Nurul Huda is a columnist for The Daily Star.