Banning of Harkat

We welcome the ban on the Harkat-ul Jihad (HUJI). It has come not a moment too soon; in fact one wonders why it did not come sooner when the government had specific account of its operation in the country in 2003?

We feel merely banning these organisations is not enough. We have seen how some such already outlawed outfits did succeed in spreading their tentacles and influence across under changed names in reincarnated forms. And we saw this reflected in the events of 17th August and afterwards. We will not be remiss in suggesting that there may be few more radical and extremist organisations in Bangladesh that the government must put out of action.

However, this is the necessary first step only. This must be relentlessly followed up by several more actions. First, all efforts must be undertaken to extirpate these organisations from their roots. Going after the brains behind these groups, netting not only the activists and grassroots level workers but also their leadership, particularly those that provide it with ideological and moral sustenance, is of urgent need. Their sponsors, both internal and external must also be identified, and their financial sources cut off for good. The government must understand that terrorism is like a hydra-headed monster, which cannot be exterminated if all its heads are not cut off at one go. Otherwise, the phenomenon will be subdued but only temporarily, to reappear later at some opportune moment.

Secondly, simultaneously, there is the need to launch a vigorous public awareness campaign to expose the hollowness of their philosophy, which, contrary to what they are trying to propagate, has nothing to do with the essence if Islam, nor is their movement a political agenda. The gullible must be made to understand that these extremists are merely exploiting religion only to gain political mileage. In fact they deserve no better treatment than what they are, wily conspirators using their guile to deceive people. They cannot be venerated only because they resort to religion as a vehicle for fulfilling their political aspirations.

Regrettably, some of these elements could germinate only because of the leeway they were provided by sponsorship from within the administration. One would like to think the latest ban is indicative of the government's resolve to stamp out ideological terrorism from our soil for good, which must be demonstrated by its action on ground.