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THE country's business leaders have called upon the politicians to shun the path of blame game with a view to containing bomb terrorism in the country.
I think the business leaders are right. So far the law enforcement authorities arrested a number of religious extremists belonging to the outlawed Jamaatul Mujahidin, Bangladesh (JMB) across the country. In Dhaka, police did a fine job on Friday, for which they deserve acknowledgement. The day was fraught with tension, as two groups of anti-Ahmadiyya bigots tried to attack the members of the Ahmadiyya community. Things could have turned quite ugly had the combustible situation not been handled competently and efficiently by the local authorities.
The police did an excellent job of restraining the demonstrators without resorting to excessive brutality or violence against them. The demonstrators were permitted to demonstrate and make speeches, but not to disrupt the city life or to attack the Ahmadiyyas.
Ultimately the police were able to ensure that the bigots were unable to hang an insulting sign on the wall of the Ahmadiyya complex in Bakshibazar as they had threatened, and unable to successfully besiege or attack the Ahmadiyya community.
This comes as a welcome change from instances in the past, when local authorities have stood by and permitted the bigots to intimidate and attack Ahmadiyyas in an orgy of violence unchecked by the police.
But the speech of the Prime Minister at Paltan Maidan on December 21 where she threatened to bring sedition charge against the opposition chief and the strong reply from the opposition leader do not gives us comfort. We think they should stop the war of words. Rather, they should concentrate on ways to tackle the real culprits.
Nazli Azfar
Lalmatia, Dhaka
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