The motive behind the horrid murder of Shahidullah, a 'Pir' in Rajshahi, is unknown but the way unidentified assailants killed him bears the hallmark of extremists who have been behind the recent killings of several others, both Muslim and non-Muslim. 

That someone would be killed for practicing his faith, not considered mainstream by some, is barbaric and unacceptable in a country that was built on the cardinal principles of democracy and secularism. No true follower of Islam, the religion of peace, would have done such a thing at all.  

In no evaluation will the law enforcement agencies get pass mark in addressing the current spate of killings. The inability to catch these elements of the society—often driven by misguided religious and political motives—sends a chilling message that those who do not conform to the warped views of a miniscule  minority are in grave danger in today's Bangladesh. Will the state do nothing as extremist groups infiltrate the society and try to change the way citizens practice their faith, dress, and even think? 

Nobody expects the government to provide individual protection to people. But they have a duty to bust these hate mongering groups, cut their sources of funding, catch their masterminds and neutralise them before they strike gain. But unless and until the society as a whole stands united against these wayward groups, the threat will be far from removed.