An officer of the Khulna Metropolitan Police has said that the attack could have been the work of some extremist group and that the target was not the temple but policemen. It is, however, not known on what basis he drew such conclusions. The deductions are extremely premature; and unsubstantiated as they are, could prejudice the investigation process even before it has been launched. Nor does it reduce the culpability of the offence to know that it is the first ever attack on a temple at the divisional headquarters. The sad truth remains, irrespective of the identity of the perpetrators and their speculated target, that a religious place has come under assault. The ramifications and implications of the crime must not be lost on the law enforcement agencies and the government.

We regard it as an assault on the rights of a community which we are constitutionally obliged to uphold and protect. The members of a community can only feel insecure when a festival of theirs is targeted by the forces of intolerance. Let there be a full-fledged investigation to ferret out the culprits.

It is clearly not enough to bolster security arrangements at the temple; what the law enforcers must ensure is that the culprits are speedily brought to justice. Otherwise, the temple bombing might also melt down under the huge pile of unresolved mysteries. We must not be oblivious of the fact that some enemies of the people are trying to undermine the foundation of this society by committing acts that run counter to the principles of tolerance and equal rights for all citizens. These elements must be reined in before they can cause more harm.