Leaflets of Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh found at various sites of explosion apart, if we dispassionately consider the series of bomb blasts which have occurred and the various institutions and groups of people targeted by these blasts over the last six years the picture that emerges slowly and gradually is that of a hydra headed monster of religious militancy trying to run a parallel government. It will be interesting to note that whether it is the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, the coalition partner of the alliance government which minces no words to decry publicly the system of governance in place in the country as satanic and vows to establish what it calls the rule of the Quranic law or it is the banned Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh or such radical militant Islamic outfits avowedly engaged in professing hate, sectarianism and violence in the name of establishing so-called pristine Islamic rule in the country, Osama bin Laden and Mollah Omar apparently remain their common idols and role models. They all converge on one point and subscribe to the same shibboleth: "We all shall become Talebans. Bangla (Bangladesh) will become Afghanistan."

It will be interesting again to note that whenever Islamic militancy has been focused upon in the print and electronic media, it is Moulana Matiur Rahman Nizami, the Jamaat Chief and Industries Minister who invariably took upon himself the duty to deny its existence. Is it not somewhat bizarre that when not in the very distant past Prime Minister Khaleda Zia had herself ordered the arrest of notorious Bangla Bhai for his sordid acts of barbarism, killing, abduction, repression etc., all in the name of Islam, in the northern region of the country with the apparent connivance of the local police and some ruling party leaders, it was Moulana Matiur Rahman Nizami who issued a statement saying that there was no such man as Bangla Bhai? Was it not virtually a denial of the Prime Minister who had earlier ordered the police to arrest Bangla Bhai? Are we to believe that it is Mr. Nizami and not the Prime Minister who is calling the shots? Was it at all necessary for the Jamaat Chief to come out openly to defend Bangla Bhai like this if it was not as if he were defending himself and his creation?

And only recently following the 17 August bomb blasts it was Matiur Rahman Nizami who again took upon himself the duty to clarify the haze surrounding the incident and made the most preposterous remarks accusing Indian and Israeli intelligence agencies of having caused these blasts. One may as well ask Mr. Nizami to divulge his source of information and intelligence on this matter. Moulana Matiur Rahman Nizami is neither the Home Minister nor the Defence Minister of Bangladesh to be credited with access to intelligence on such a vital and delicate issue. Mr. Nizami's stance against India is well known from the days of our Liberation War. His crass accusation against India at a time when we do not have the best of relations with India and most importantly when SAARC summit is around the corner is the least expected from him. The question that naturally comes up in the mind is: will it not affect the ensuing SAARC summit which has been postponed more than once?

Foreign Minister Morshed Khan too was no better than Mr. Nizami when he described the bomb blasts as merely "acts of a few hoodlums". No, those who masterminded and carried out the bomb blasts of the magnitude and scale of the 17th August are terrorists and not hoodlums. There is a difference between terrorists and hoodlums. After all who are we befooling but ourselves by trying to play down such horrendous acts of terrorism and pass the buck to others while we know in the heart of our hearts that the cancerous growth is there in our body?

What is at stake is not merely whether it is the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) or the Bangladesh Awami League (AL) winning or losing the next election. Our national political leaders must look beyond and farther than that. It is the existence of secular, progressive and democratic Bangladesh -- which we all dreamt of as we broke away from Pakistan in 1971 -- which is at stake. The terrorists in the garb of so called Islamic fundamentalists and extremists are on the march to create anarchy and destabilise the country in order to convince the people that our politicians have failed the country and the people, that Bangladesh is a failed state and that it has been folly fighting the liberation war and creating the independent state in 1971. Once they succeed in winning support of the people, they will then usher in a Taliban type of government and turn this country into a veritable Afghanistan, and all in the name of Islam!

The fact that ours is a Muslim majority country and that majority of our people are poor and illiterate makes the country vulnerable to religious bigotry. But there is a glimmer of hope in that we do have a large sprinkling of educated men and women, an ever expanding enlightened civil society and history and tradition of religious tolerance, secular culture and democratic aspirations which are likely to help the people in their struggle against the forces of religious bigotry and anachronism. In all probability, the push for Talibanisation will not succeed. But nevertheless the Islamisation process which began after the 1975 tragedy will probably continue to flourish if the two main political parties -- AL and BNP -- do not come to terms with the reality and forge unity against the anti-liberation and defeated politico-religious forces of 1971. The possibility of a protracted civil war and colossal blood shed looms large on the horizon.

It is, however, hearting to know that Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has for the first time taken the state minister for home affairs to task for the 17 August bomb blasts and the serious security lapses. The situation calls for a shake up of the cabinet and a firm stand against religious bigotry and militancy. The image of the country as a moderate Muslim state has suffered enormous damage because of the foolhardy and dastardly acts of bomb blasting by a handful of religious zealots over the last few years. An all out war against these so called terrorists need to be mounted. People responsible for planning and carrying out these terrorist acts must be found out and punished ruthlessly no matter who and how powerful they are. The nation is pinning its hope on the Prime Minister. Will she rise to the occasion and lead the nation out of the crisis?

The writer is a freedom fighter and former Military Secretary to the President of Bangladesh