The whispers that roared

Indeed the seeds of the Islamist militancy were sown after the political changes of 1975 when the religious parties including Jamaat-e-Islami which opposed the great war of liberation were rehabilitated in politics. Ideologically the political power is the Jamaat's target, only with which it can fulfil its dream of turning the country into a Shariah state. They unmistakably proceeded toward that goal and achieved a measure of success by sharing power with the BNP as an alliance partner. In present political milieu the BNP has a great stake in the survival of the alliance. It has therefore given a long rope to the Jamaat which has made full use of it. As a doctrinaire political organisation Jamaat functions on multiple fronts and may have nexus with the numerous groups and individuals of same hue.

After having gathered enough strength the Islamist groups decided to bare their fangs. Starting with 'Udichi's cultural function in 1999 they followed it up with many more similar bomb or grenade attacks throughout the country. The then Awami League government failed to unearth the mystery behind Udichi incident but perhaps correctly raised its finger of accusation against the fundamentalist force. Things worsened since then. Because the alliance government did not even admit the existence of such elements in the country till recently. Instead it followed a hide and seek policy with regard to rising Islamist militancy in the country. On the one hand, the government banned Jamatul Mujahideen -- now found out to be the catalyst of 17 August episode -- but on the other it refrained from rounding off its top leaders.

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So long the existence and activities of the fundamentalist forces were confined to whispers. The people frightened by atrocities perpetrated by Bangla Bhai and his cadres couldn't even open their mouth and the role of the establishment was confused at the best. The prime minister's directives to round off Bangla Bhai was mysteriously shelved. All these only emboldened the fundamentalist and extremist forces. Now they started flexing their muscle by enacting daredevil operation of 21 August a year ago and killing SAMS Kibria and causing many other mayhems with impunity. None of the criminals involved in these incidents have yet been brought to book. Justice has repeatedly been subverted boosting the courage of the perpetrators of heinous crimes believed to be the handiworks of fundamentalist and extremist forces and that also in the name of religion.

Moreover the overall situation of the country, the all round failure of the government, the continuing lawlessness, the sweeping corruption and an unchecked price like pointed to an impending disaster befalling the nation. The people were convinced that things couldn't go on like that. Society was restive and rotten to the core. 17 August had been the inevitable culmination of the political and social malaise prevailing in the country. Whom would you blame if some group or individuals exploit the situation to their advantage? Even historically a prolonged governance bringing the country on the brink produced situation worse than before.

Religion when mixed with politics becomes a heady brew. And the people intoxicated with it can go to any extent. Instead of dousing the fire of inconsequential jihads being plotted by the fundamentalists the government stoked it through a policy of appeasement particularly of Islamist alliance partners. It is an irony that to keep its vote bank intact among the rightist elements of the electorate the government consciously stepped into the traps laid by the fundamentalists -- thus creating its own Frankenstein.

Brig ( retd) Hafiz is former DG of BIISS.