No Political Agenda Can Justify Terrorism

We find the sudden wave of crude bomb explosions and planned arson attacks across the country deeply disturbing. Over the past few days, cocktail explosions outside police stations, key installations, university campuses and busy transit routes have overwhelmed our city dwellers with panic and fear. No political agenda, regardless of its motivation or origin, can ever justify terrorism while putting innocent lives at risk. 

However, incidence and coordination of these attacks are alarming. From the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court gate and District Judge Court to Farmgate, Banasree, Jatrabari and university hubs like Titumir College, Shanto-Mariam and Southeast University, essential public services have been deliberately targeted. This calculated attempt to disrupt normal life is most vividly reflected in the arson beneath the Farmgate Metro Rail Station on Monday evening, which temporarily halted metro operations. Burning of multiple buses in Tejgaon, Bhatara and Mohakhali was no less shocking.

Against this backdrop, law enforcement agencies have rightly pointed out that these well-synchronised disruptions appear to be planned attempts by banned political organisations to trigger anarchy alongside announced political strikes. Indeed, the political underpinnings of this sabotage became undeniable after the arrest of several Awami League leaders and activists - caught red-handed hurling crude bombs in Jatrabari, Malibagh and Mirpur. 

Yet, while police raids and arrests are underway, simply asking the public not to panic remains hardly sufficient. Reassurances mean nothing when commuters face burning buses on their way home and crude bombs continue to detonate outside police stations under cover of darkness.

Needs be mentioned, this artificial climate of terror does not exist in a vacuum. It is actively fed by persistent rumours over former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s imminent return, alongside her recent formal application for a new Bangladeshi passport and National Identity Card from exile in India. While her legal representatives claim these documents are meant to facilitate her return to face judicial proceedings, government officials have firmly rejected the application, reiterating that the state will not issue travel documents to convicted fugitives and demanding her direct extradition instead. 

Consequently, those orchestrating these acts of anarchy deserve unequivocal condemnation. Weaponising public fear for political leverage is nothing short of a collective punishment inflicted on the most vulnerable. When families are already struggling with soaring food prices, such fear could have a heavy toll for ordinary people like rickshaw-pullers and day-labourers.

That said, chasing suspects after a bomb explosion is no solution without proactive intelligence and firm accountability. Given the involvement of activists from banned affiliate groups, authorities must urgently tighten field surveillance over Awami League operatives attempting to trigger further arson. CCTV networks must unmask explosive suppliers, transit corridors need tighter security, and political motives must never overshadow the state’s paramount duty to protect public life and property. 

Finally, restoring peace in the country cannot rely on vague assurances or reactive enforcement. State authorities must demonstrate decisive capability by dismantling these sabotage networks before they strike, while political actors must realise that terrorising ordinary citizens will never yield democratic legitimacy.