Tackling militancy

4/25/2016 5:09:56 AM

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The murder of another professor by Islamist militants in Bangladesh has caused outrage at home and abroad.

The killing of a university professor in Bangladesh on Saturday by Islamist militants marks another low in the attack on free thinking in a country which is known for its liberal and secular values. Rezaul Karim Siddique 58 was hacked to death by machete-wielding assailants as he walked to a bus station from his home in the country’s northwestern city of Rajshahi where he taught at a public university. The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for the murder accusing the professor of propagating atheism. But family members and friends of the professor deny this charge saying he was only involved in cultural programmes including music and set up a music school at Bagmara a former bastion of the outlawed Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

The murder is a continuation of the policy of elimination being practised by the Islamist extremists. Siddique was the fourth professor from Rajshahi University to have been murdered. In February a court handed down life sentences to two militants for the murder of another professor Mohammad Yunus. These murders have caught international attention and caused outrage at home and abroad with human rights groups calling for urgent action. Bangladeshis are equally angry and upset at these killings.

Atheism and anti-Islamic teachings and opinions are not tolerated in Islamic or Muslim countries where a huge majority of people practise their faith. Atheists and non-religious people living in such societies have a duty to refrain from propagating ideas that will hurt religious sentiments. At the same time it’s the duty of the governments to define the freedom given to its citizens as guaranteed in their constitutions and as demanded by the requirements of a modern society. Violators must be punished according to the law and letting extremists take revenge on non-believers will only lead to anarchy and destabilize the society while tarnishing the image of the country. Bangladesh is officially secular where people of all faiths and sectarian affiliations co-exist peacefully.

The police have made arrests after the professor’s killing and are investigating the case. The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is sincerely trying to eliminate extremism from the country but faces several challenges. The rise of extremism in every country is a corollary of the global growth of the Islamic State. But that doesn’t make this challenge unmanageable but just tough requiring the deployment of all resources at the disposal of the state. The government in Dhaka is quite capable of addressing this threat.

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