Brig Gen Shahedul Anam Khan ndc, psc (Retd)

Like language politics cannot be taught – it has to be learnt. And one thing that one must learn in politics, as much as in war, is that a weak front should not be invested in and vulnerabilities plugged.

John Kerry had listed the areas that the US government had aided Bangladesh in since its independence. But if it really wants Bangladesh to develop, the only policy that will make US' role as our development partner meaningful is a 'hand up' rather than 'handout' policy; handout is what foreign aid turns out to be in the long run.

Today's piece is not remotely connected with the name of the column. But I couldn't pass up the chance of putting to paper some random thoughts about the just concluded quadrennial sports extravaganza and the performance of the organisers and the sportsmen and women in Rio.

To express support for a breakaway group on the soil of that country would be a diplomatic incivility, but the shield of technicality was invoked to show that the premises of the Pakistan High Commission were the territory of Pakistan. But be that as it may, there is no doubt that the incident has brought about a complete 'rerouting' of India's policy towards Pakistan.

Our policymakers should appreciate, more importantly acknowledge, that the radicals have made inroads in our midst. The affluent and the educated youths have been targeting those whose minds have been indented enough to be motivated to not only disown the parents but also indulge in suicide attacks.

I believe that the police had taken measures that they deemed necessary after getting the wind of something impending, but the point illustrated by the course of events of July 1 is that no contingency plan is ever adequate enough or completely foolproof unless put to test.

As one pores over the newspapers reading endlessly reports and commentaries and personal recollections of people who were associated one way or the other with some of the unfortunate victims of the Holey Artisan massacre one is inundated by multiple thoughts agitated by comments of friends and family members living far away in body but enmeshed in spirit with this land and deeply distressed by what has been happening in their beloved country of late.

Not since the gruesome killings of BDR officers had we been faced with such a heart rending situation. And this was the first time that

Of late we have seen pictures of the police handing over bamboo sticks to groups of people in various districts ostensibly for the purpose of combating militancy and extremism in the country.

We should feel happy that the police have been able to round up 189 'listed militants'. It speaks of the very good intelligence of the intelligence agencies that they have been able to cull the names of the militants and their address too, but the question is why they had to wait for the special drive and not pick them up sooner. What one interested in now is how the police deal with the 'listed extremists'.

The government must realise that it is against heavy odds, that it faces an organised group that is well led both at the strategic and tactical level as evident from the recent conduct of the killings.

Predictably the issue of 'illegal migration' had featured most predominantly in the latest state elections in Assam.

It is said that foreign policies should not be dictated by the heart but by the head. And I believe that that precept must always predominate our foreign policy formulation.

The matter is compounded further when one of the two happens to be the main protagonist of the current global war on terror and whose policy of fighting that war stemmed from the most injudicious, self-centered strategy that has accentuated rather than attenuated extremism, and whose policy has helped extremists spread their tentacles in countries which were not in their radar before the start of the GWOT.

While there is no gainsaying that there is no ‘physical presence’ of IS in this country, the fact that the terrorist organisation has brought this country under its radar is a matter that the security agencies in Bangladesh cannot overlook.

The undue preoccupation of the administration in trying to disprove the presence of IS in the country is noticeable. One feels that the home ministry is taking the word 'presence' too literally. We cannot overlook the fact that there are a number of Islamic militant groups in the country, and at least 12 of those have been outlawed by the government.

The caveat imposed by the DMP on the Pahela Baishakh celebrations in and around Suhrawardy Udyan and Ramna Park, reminds me of a

The Election Commission has become a metaphor for ineptitude. The gradual downslide in the performance of the main democratic institution of the country is disconcertingly palpable.

It is in the interest of the Army's credibility that everything should be done to resolve the mystery. Cantonments are not sacrosanct areas and from time to time criminal acts do occur in there.

The BB Governor has done the only moral thing to do, resign. But that is only one aspect of the issue. The matter has generated several questions and people need credible answers to those.