Terror attacks continue

This time the attack on an Ahmadiyya mosque in Rajshahi's Bagmara upazila was aimed particularly at creating terror within that community. We have said this before and we say it again; Bangladesh has no history of sectarian violence. The pattern of going after soft targets in other districts is a worrying development. That we now have an alleged suicide bombing incident at Bagmara means that the situation is heating up. We are informed by law enforcers that they suspect the hand of JMB in the attack. The latest incident comes on the heels of a major successful crackdown on militants who had holed up in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Christmas day with enough bomb-making material to launch a major campaign of terror.

With the killing of foreigners and now attacks on places of worship of minority communities and various sects of Islam, it should be clear what these elements are aiming to achieve. These extremists have been lying low for so long and have decided to act, and there is a pattern in their operations. Despite success in pre-empting some of these extremists, the attacks are continuing, and it is disheartening to see that only operatives are getting caught in the raids prior to or in the aftermath of an incident. The real masterminds are managing to remain elusive.

While catching foot soldiers involved in acts of terror is certainly a commendable job, can we really bring the problem under complete control without apprehending the ringleaders?