On the front line, Bangladesh must halt Islamist extremism
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The recent spate of ghastly murders by Islamists in Bangladesh have shaken the country and been condemned around the world. The gains of our government are being overshadowed by its failure to nab the killers.
The threat is real and cannot be overlooked or underplayed. Blame games will not solve the problem. I suggest the following measures to combat rising religious extremism in Bangladesh and other countries.
1. Expand intelligence networks to penetrate terrorist cells forming in our societies.
2. Recruit more police to provide better coverage and patrolling.
3. Improve training in law enforcement agencies to curb human-rights violations that cause anger, which in turn fuels extremism.
4. Identify the breeding grounds of terrorists and eliminate them.
5. Introduce de-radicalisation programmes as soon as possible.
SN Mamoon
First published in the Daily Star/ANN.
