Two drops of water do not make a rainfall

We are in accord with the attitude of the Russian Ambassador on the killing of the two foreigners, articulated in the most poetic manner. However, while that aphorism is true, it is also true that droplets in a crag if allowed to accrete will result in the ultimate denudation of the rock, and if one were to compare the society to a rock, it will fracture eventually and the fissiparous forces that are on the prowl and are busy pulverising our mind through selective killings will eventually come to pervade our lives. 

The gaze of the nation has been made to shift from the foreigners' killings to the bloggers'. Whether that is deliberate or not is a matter of conjecture but that these killings are somewhat linked is a fair assumption. Even if Ansar-ul-Islam, the so-called appendage of Al Qaeda in South Asia, had not admitted to the attacks on the publishers that resulted in the death of Dipan and grievous injury to three others, it would not be difficult to surmise who the killers were, if not pinpoint the group exactly. And although Ansar-ul-Islam has admitted to the killing, I think that most of the extremist groups proscribed by the Bangladesh government would like to feel a vicarious association with the attacks. It is the second time that this group has claimed responsibility for the killing of bloggers. The August killing of Niloy was owned up to by this group also. 

We have noticed a complete new dimension in the choice of targets of the religious extremists. In addition to the bloggers that they have been going after so far now, as the matter stands, the extremists will not only deter, to the extent of killing those that they do not agree with, but also shut the mouth of those that help to spread their views. But again one cannot overlook the attacks on policemen, the latest being on a police check post in Savar yesterday that killed one policeman and injured 4 others. We are happy to note that the home minister did not dismiss the attacks on the police as 'isolated' incidents.

These events call for the redefining of the government's response and its entire method of combating the extremists, keeping in mind the developing situation through an objective investigation and identification of the killers. 

We need not be told that these were well-planned attacks. No killer group gets up one fine morning and says, "Let's go and kill some bloggers?" Of course these were well-planned attacks. Not only that, the attacks were well coordinated too, given that those were carried out near simultaneously, and the method of operation similar. While it is difficult to anticipate a well determined attack for the police – remember the extremist need to be successful only one day of the year to fulfill their mission – the law enforcers have to be successful every single day of the year to prevent the extremists' success. It is through an invigorated human intelligence network that the extremists can be more effectively tackled.  

And when it comes to investigation and resolution of these cases we are disappointed at the progress of investigation and trial. And this brings us to the question of the state's counter-terrorism capabilities, something that we have been harping on for so long. And when the police admit to the lack of resources, not expertise, in effectively combating extremism and terrorism, our position is vindicated. The police rue the lack of a special force to fight these groups. That is bound to be so since the government is yet to come up with a strategy to combat the menace. And unless one has established the nature of threat and how that might evolve in the future, and formulates appropriate response, one cannot realistically set up a force appropriate for, and relevant to, the need. Apparently there is little, if any, coalescence of efforts between the counter-terrorism units that some of our intelligence agencies possess. In this regard the government must also consider seriously the need for an apex body that would lead the anti-terrorism efforts and one that would also devolve the authority to task the intelligence agencies. 

But that is only one aspect of dealing with extremism and terrorism fed by radical thoughts. The society has a big role to play in this respect and that includes the politicians who have, regrettably, played politics with the issue. It is worthwhile restating the comments of Dipan's father, which was profound in both substance and connotation. He said that he did not want the trial of his son's killers, but would hope that sense would prevail among us. All those who are playing with religion are destroying the country, he had said. These words need no explication and which everyone, except little people with little minds, would be able to comprehend.  

The writer is Associate Editor, The Daily Star.