What they are up to is crystal-clear

Why are the Islamic militants targeting the judiciary, the district courts to be precise? And, this is no verbal abuse, mind you, that they are hurling at the judiciary; it's very much physical targeting of adalats. Mufassil courts are where human affairs are dealt with, at the mundane but broad spectrum social level. So, the offensive they have launched is not all that symbolic, rather it is shrewdly calculated and roundly focused. Their intent is to cash in on the religious sentiments of people, especially of the potentially gullible -- on the assumption perhaps that the ground lay prepared by their peers for receiving their message.

Operationally, the extremists thought that the judiciary, rather the lower stratum, was a soft target for them and that's why it has been chosen for attack. The home ministry has rightly beefed up personal security of the judges in response to their call. While the judges and lawyers need protection in view of the threats being issued to them, the government must not forget that the entire country is under threat from these people who are up to demolishing the very principles on which free Bangladesh was founded. Today, they are attacking the judiciary, tomorrow it may be another institution, because their sworn aim is to impose an extremist, orthodox rule on our people.

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They have made no bones about their intentions and we should be equally unambiguous in our counter offensive. All of us, wherever we are, must uphold the constitution of the country. The religiosity of our people and the natural respect they have for Islam should not be confused with the sinister agenda of those diabolic elements who are out to push us into the dark ages.