An attempted murder in Pabna, within days of the killing of two foreign nationals, has added to the ongoing sense of unease amongst us. In an incident on Monday in Pabna, a Christian pastor, Father Luke Sarkar, barely escaped death when three young men pretending to be interested in Christianity, entered his home and then tried to kill him with a knife. The pastor was saved when his family heard his cry for help and rushed to the scene prompting the assailants to escape.

Though no link between the two previous incidents and this has so far been established, coming on the heels of the killing of the two foreigners, one cannot rule out the possibility that this attack has been carried out as part of a plan to destabilise the country and portray it as a den of extremism. On the other hand, it might well be the work of extremist groups with a particular agenda in mind. Whatever may be the motives and whichever group may be involved, the security agencies must intensify their investigations of these cases and identify the assailants and those working as masterminds behind the gruesome incidents. 

The series of murders point to an obvious deterioration in law and order, something that the government must address on a priority basis. The need to unravel the mystery behind the killing of the two foreigners and attack on the pastor cannot be overemphasised, given the impact they have had on our security situation. The government must take these threats to security very seriously and arrest the perpetrators quickly.