Bangladesh, a majority Muslim nation long seen as insulated from the most fervent strains of militant Islam, has seen that reputation crack amid an increasingly bloody divide between secular bloggers and conservative Islamist groups.
In many ways, the divide is clear: The bloggers want authorities to ban religion-based politics, while the Islamists are pressing for blasphemy laws so that nobody can undermine Islam's holy book, the prophet or basic pillars of being a Muslim.
In a crowded nation of 160 million, whose recent political history has been dominated by a bitter power struggle that regularly spills into street violence, many fear that religion could further destabilize the situation.
Islam is Bangladesh's state religion, but the country is governed by secular laws based on British common law. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has repeatedly said she will not give in to religious extremism.
Yet over the last decade or so, extreme interpretations of Islam have steadily gained ground here.
"These attacks are not stray incidents," said Abdur Rashid, a retired army general and expert on national security. "They are well planned and strings are being pulled in some quarters eager to control the future of Bangladesh."
