Bank heists by militants

Following the arrests of nine suspected operatives of banned militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (Huji) and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) the police has revealed the formation of an umbrella organisation 'Bangladesh Jihadi Group' that has come up with a new way to raise funds for religious militancy: through bank heists. Already two such robberies have occurred and the efficiency and brutality with which the crimes have been carried out are hallmarks of militant organisations.

Needless to say, this is a very worrying trend. It shows that pockets of militant outfits, some known, others assuming new names, exist all over the country. Detectives have also arrested a suspected ISIS member from Banani who has been recruiting activists for his new militant organisation, through the internet and even given them training in his home.

It is laudable that the government and its law enforcement agencies are serious about catching extremists who are plotting and planning to carry out violent, deadly attacks on people to spread terror. The regular arrests of members of various militant outfits and the unearthing of their hideouts that often have bomb making materials, weapons and material to instigate militancy, demonstrate the efficiency of the law enforcement agencies in catching these extremists.

We hope that the same level of expertise will be shown in arresting and punishing those militants who have carried out a number of brutal assassinations of writers and bloggers. We urge the government to continue with their anti-terror drive with this kind of vigour and determination in order to purge our country of militancy and terror in the name of religion.