Thanks to a concerted and organized effort by the government and our law enforcement agencies, the threat of militancy is now under control.
The Holey Artisan attack, in which over 20 innocent people tragically lost their lives in a most brutal manner, no doubt acted as a wake-up call, not just for the government, but for all Bangladeshis.
It asked difficult questions of us all, questions for which perhaps we did not have answers at the time.
But, from the ashes of that tragedy, through resilience and determination, Bangladesh has continued to fight against the forces of terror, and move forward and prosper as a nation.
This would not have been possible without the pro-active approach taken by our government, which realized the potential threat facing the nation, and made it a priority to root it out.
Through various raids carried out following the tragedy, our brave law enforcement officers were able to eliminate numerous active terrorist cells operating in the country, and now, as a result, Bangladesh faces no major terrorist threat.
But that is not the only area in which we have remained active. It is commendable that the government has not only put in the efforts to eliminate terror, but also to prevent it. Through various initiatives which focus on deradicalization, rehabilitation, and counselling for militants, the youth especially are being engaged in activities which take them away from a life of violence.
Various institutions and smaller organizations have also been working with each other, while simultaneously conducting nationwide social awareness campaigns, to ensure that militancy is not given the breathing space it needs to grow.
In the war against militancy, there is no doubt that Bangladesh is winning. But, moving forward, it is imperative that we continue to fight as we have done so far, by engaging the youth and ensuring that our values of democracy and secularism are not hijacked by those who do not understand what Bangladesh truly stands for.
