Besides, the government's anti-militancy steps so far also cast doubt on its sincerity to rout the Islamist extremists.

The government did not feel it necessary to discuss the militancy issue at any of its regular cabinet meeting, let alone to call a special session. Moreover, the issue was not raised in parliament for discussion. Rather the Speaker turned down all the notices submitted by opposition lawmakers to discuss it in the Jatiya Sangsad in last few sessions.

Although BNP Secretary General and LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and his cabinet colleagues had kept on denying the existence of militants for the first three years of the government, Bhuiyan on November 27 in a discussion said the problem originated during the previous AL government.

After Tuesday's twin suicide bomb blasts by Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Prime Minster Khaleda Zia once again warned the banned Islamic militant outfit of dire consequences of the desperate acts of subversion, and yesterday she urged all political parties to sit together to find ways to stop the bomb terrorism.

But, her government's sincerity to deal with the problem effectively comes under question as it is yet to take any step to investigate into the allegations of patronising and protecting militants by many of its ministers and lawmakers as well as leaders of ruling coalition partner Jamaat-e-Islami.

Intelligence officials also regretted that the government policymakers paid little heed to their reports on militants' existence and activities. Many law-enforcement officials, after the Tuesday's twin attacks, suggested that political will of the government is now more important to halt terrorism as it has taken a new form of suicidal attacks.

Law enforcers recently sought the home ministry's permission to interrogate a number of BNP lawmakers, including ministers and MPs from Rajshahi Division who allegedly harboured militant kingpin Bangla Bhai and his cadres for long. But, the government high-ups did not respond.

The permission was sought after definite allegations against a BNP stalwart of having phone contacts with Bangla Bhai, the fourth man among the top seven JMB leaders comprising its Majlish-e-Shura, event after the August 17 countrywide orchestrated bombings.

Commenting on the prime minister's invitation to all parties to sit together, many observers said it is a good sign, but at the same time she [the PM] will have to cut relations with any individual or party surrounding her found to have link with militancy.

One observer recalled a meeting of the PM with 'Islamic scholars' on October 6 at her office, just 11 days before the militant Islamist organisation Harkat-ul Jihad Al Islami (HuJi) was banned last month. At least two HuJi top guns, Shaikhul Hadith and Habibur Rahman, were among the 'Islamic scholars' who met Khaleda Zia that day.

Another political observer referred to the prime ministerial instruction to arrest Bangla Bhai being ignored, despite several public appearances of the militant kingpin.

The government's sincerity to combat militants came into question once again when law enforcers released Mahtab Khamaru, top aide to Bangla Bhai, a few hours into his arrest. The Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members were reportedly forced to release Khamaru on a diktat of Deputy Minister Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu.

Not only Dulu, there have been numerous allegations against other top BNP leaders from Rajshahi region of having links with militants. They include Post and Telecommunications Minister Aminul Haq, Rajshahi City Mayor Mizanur Rahman Minu MP and another BNP lawmaker Nadeenm Mostafa.

On the other hand, Abu Hena MP, before his expulsion from the BNP, named Minister Aminul Haque, Jamaat Ameer and Industries Minister Motiur Rahman Nizami and Jamaat Secretary General and Social Welfare Minister Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid as patrons of Islamist militant activities.

Instead of taking immediate and effective action against the accused, BNP lawmaker Abu Hena was punished for disclosing the facts.

After Hena's ouster, BNP whip Ashraf Hossain also gave press statements on November 24, naming Jamaat as being involved in the rise of militancy. The next day, on November 25, BNP's standing committee member and former minister Oli Ahmed also pointed finger at Jamaat.

Earlier, on September 26, BNP International Affairs Secretary Syed Najibul Bashar Maizbhandari resigned from the BNP protesting the government's failure to act against Jamaat for its militancy involvement.

On October 1, HuJi lynchpin Mufti Hannan named former home minister and presently Commerce Minister Altaf Hossain Chowhdury for granting him protection. "The former home minister assured and asked me to stay in Dhaka," Hannan, who is sentenced to life imprisonment for an assassination attempt of the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina, told before a court after his arrest.

Replying to a query of party workers in October State Minister for Housing and Public Works Alamgir Kabir said, "I have no link with militancy, but Post and Telecommunications Minister Aminul Haque has maintained relationship with the militants."

At the beginning of open militant activities in the country early last year, the government policymakers including the prime minister labelled it as 'well-planned propaganda of opposition' to tarnish the ruling coalition's image and to prove Bangladesh a dysfunctional state. But, things have changed over the last few months, when militants have displayed their might by frequently blasting bombs, including suicidal attacks. The incidents forced the government at least to 'believe' that there is existence of militants in the country and their acts are not isolated ones.

It was not in a too distant past when cadres of Bangla Bhai killed their opponents openly in Bagmara of Rajshahi in the name of establishing Islamic rule in the country. But the government top brass and top police officials denied the existence of Bangla Bhai and blamed the media for creating a false and fictitious character.

Nizami on July 22 last year said, "Bangla Bhai was created by some newspapers." But, later the government banned the JMJB and asked law enforcers to arrest Bangla Bhai.

After the Gazipur and Chittagong blasts, the prime minister from a public meeting in the capital yesterday called upon all political parties and distinguished personalities to sit across the table to find out ways to stop bomb terrorism. A day before, she issued strong warnings to the militant outfit about dire consequences.

Such an effort of the prime minister has been appreciated by many corners, but at the same time many raised questions about her cabinet and also party members role about the problem of militancy.

On Tuesday, in a rally against bomb terrorism, many ministers and BNP leaders categorically blamed the main opposition AL of patronising the militants.

But, observers believe sincere political will of the prime minister, which she at last showed through public rallies in the last couple of days, will help combat the terrorism.