BICYCLE OF VIOLENCE

The suicide bombings in Bangladesh have turned more evil in nature. They are now targeting innocent people. Yesterday's blast occurred as hundreds of curious people had gathered on a narrow street in Netrokona shortly after the police safely detonated another bomb found abandoned in a building. A suicide bomber on a bicycle rode into the crowd and detonated the explosives tied to his body by pulling a cord according to eye-witnesses.

Now the interesting twist is that of the two suspected suicide bombers, one, named Jadab was identified as a Hindu by religion. So it is highly mysterious that now Hindus are also blowing themselves up to establish Allah's rule in Bangladesh.

Some suspect that it is a ploy of the government framing Jadab to put the blame on the opposition. They are trying to say that not Islamic militancy, but political motivations are behind these attacks and the militants are paid goons. If that is a possibility then the government cannot be ruled out of the suspicion as some BNP & Jamaat lawmakers have connections with the militants. So I think we need to analyze all conspiracy theories and see the whole thing in a new perspective.

I think the latest events in Bangladesh have some hidden motives as these will shape up the 2006 general election. Already Jamaat has lost one constituency in the December 5 by-poll in Dinajpur. Locals say that they are frustrated with the skyrocketing prices of essentials and the alarming rise of militancy in the district so they have cast their votes against the alliance government.

Amidst all these politics, the bomb threats keep mounting on the common people. The whole nation is panicked. Mothers are keeping their children from crowded places or even schools. Police and the security forces are exasperated by their new role, protecting the nation and not finding time to catch the culprits. Full body checks, metal detectors, arch detectors are being carried out by police everywhere; in shopping malls, Mosques, public buses and even in protest gatherings. The bomb scares have started to hit the tourism industry. Soon there will be more effects troubling the economy.

Surely we do not want this Bangladesh. I hope our leaders, specially the government have little bit of shame in conceding most of the responsibility in putting the people in this misery.