The explosion at the Ummul Qura Madrasa in Keraniganj was no accident.
Two hundred liters of hydrogen peroxide, sixty liters of nitric acid, and ten kilograms of explosive powder—were these stored for “chemical research,” or for preparing mass murder? The madrasa’s director, Sheikh Al Amin, already had five cases against him for links to JMB. So how did this man receive permission to run a madrasa? The answer is simple: those who seized power in Bangladesh after July do not see militants as enemies—they see them as partners.
After the Holey Artisan attack, Bangladesh had adopted a zero-tolerance policy against militancy. That framework has now been deliberately dismantled. Since August 5, accused militants have either been released on bail or escaped by breaking out of jail. In five months of the Yunus government, there has not been a single notable arrest or counterterrorism operation. Instead, Jamaat-e-Islami is being openly patronized by the state. An organization that participated in genocide in 1971, whose leaders were executed for war crimes, is now being given space inside ministries. This is no coincidence—this is a plan.
Authorities are trying to dismiss the recovery of forty-five cocktails in Jazira as a “local dispute.” But the real question is: how does such a large cache of bomb-making materials end up in a village? Where were the police and the administration? Or were they deliberately looking the other way? It is now clear that bomb and cocktail stockpiles are being prepared across the country ahead of the elections. The goal is singular: sabotage the election and plunge the country into chaos. Yunus and his patrons know that a free and fair election would guarantee their defeat.
In a country that once upheld zero tolerance against militancy, bombs are now being manufactured inside madrasas. Noor Khan Liton rightly observed that militants have gained “breathing space” since August 5. Not just breathing space—they have received state protection. The main accused in the Keraniganj case, Sheikh Al Amin, remains at large. Why? Because the government has no interest in arresting him. And interrogations of those who were detained have reportedly revealed plans for sabotage in Dhaka—indicating preparations for another Holey Artisan–style attack.
Bangladeshi militants’ links with international terror networks are nothing new. ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and their offshoots remain active. And now, Bangladesh has become fertile ground for them. That foreign powers backed the July coup is no longer a secret. Those same countries that want to see Islamist militancy grow in Bangladesh are the ones who installed Yunus in power. And Yunus is faithfully executing their agenda.
What happened in Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Pakistan? Religious extremism was first given political shelter—then it captured the state. That same process has now begun in Bangladesh. Jamaat, Hefazat, JMB—these groups are now openly active. And what is the government doing? Nothing. Instead, it is releasing militant suspects and rehabilitating them.
The police Anti-Terrorism Unit claims it is investigating the Keraniganj incident. But is this investigation merely a delay tactic? Why hasn’t the main accused been arrested? Why are details from interrogations being withheld? Because if those details were made public, the entire network would be exposed—and its threads would lead directly into the government itself. How can militancy be fought when members of militant-linked groups are sitting inside ministries?
Bangladesh now stands at a crossroads. Either this resurgence of militancy will be stopped—or the country will sink into chaos. But where is hope when those in power are the architects of that chaos? Elections may offer a chance for change—but by then, how many madrasas will have turned into bomb factories? How many more Jaziras will emerge? How many Holey Artisans will Bangladesh be forced to endure?
The Bangladesh Yunus and his allies seek to create will be a paradise for militants—a land where medieval brutality is enforced in the name of Sharia, where the lives of women, minorities, and progressive citizens become a living hell. Just as in Syria. Just as in Afghanistan. And Bangladesh is being pushed toward this fate deliberately—funded by foreign patrons, backed by the military, and guided by the bloodstained hands of extremists.
