The Dhaka siege was distressing (“Islamic State militants kill 20 hostages in Dhaka siege”, July 3). The upscale Gulshan enclave and the adjacent Banani area which house embassies, UN organisations and their staff are well-fortified with a large Army and police presence and check points. It is next to impossible to plan mischief. Therefore, questions are bound to be raised about how the incident took place. The tragedy also gives the lie to the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s oft-repeated claims that the al-Qaeda or the Islamic State do not have a presence in Bangladesh and that the frequent violence targeting secular and liberal forces is the handiwork of home-grown religious zealots.
M.P. Muralidharan,
Bengaluru
It is clear that with its geographical territory shrinking, the IS is becoming desperate. The attack is a clear warning to Indian authorities that there has to be intelligence sharing among all countries in the subcontinent.
S. Ramapriyan,
Neyveli
Despite the quick reaction by Bangladesh’s security forces, the formidable challenge before the Bangladesh government is to find a way to tackle anti-government and terrorist forces. The Dhaka siege proves that there is no space for complacency in the fight against any form of terror.
Buddhadev Nandi,
Bishnupur, West Bengal
The intent is to destabilise the democratic regime of Bangladesh under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh has been facing turbulence for quite some time now and we can ill-afford to have democracy being weakened in our eastern neighbour.
Baquir Sadar,
Kochi
It is distressing that such attacks are only bringing disrepute to Islam. The carnage by terrorist elements especially in West Asia must be tackled. Islam is the religion of humanity, and not of Muslims alone. The UN should intervene and declare war on these destructive forces.
Aftab Ahmed,
Noida
The IS has given a fresh lease of life to the idea of terrorism especially with lone wolf attacks. How long can we bear witness to these acts of violence and hatred? It’s high time the UN decides to use various instruments like sanctions on all those nations that allow their territories to harbour elements and fund terror. The West must also accept that it is a part of this problem and largely responsible for the creation of this Frankenstein’s monster. India must push for a ‘Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism’ treaty.
Rahul Nair H.,
Thiruvananthapuram
While referring to the carnage (‘World’ – “Sheikh Hasina vows to root out terror”, July 3), Sheikh Hasina has rightly asked the question, “What kind of Muslims are these people?” As a Muslim, I agree with her as Islam never practices, preaches, encourages or endorses extremism, terrorism, carnage or genocide. The term ‘Islam’ means peace. By claiming to be Muslim and unceremoniously invoking god, terrorist elements are only bringing disrepute to our religion.
A.A.H.K. Ghori,
Chennai
